In the Shadows
by AvatarPipTook
Summary: (Collaboration story with Another Dead Hero) After a pattern of murders in the new streets of Republic City, Mako works on the case trying to solve who the serial killer is. (Post-Book 4. Rated M for blood, some nudity and language.)
1. Prologue

_**Another Dead Hero- Huh, haven't done a collab with anyone in a good long time, but yeah, this was a fanfic idea I had for a good while (Before Book 3 actually), but never had the chance myself to do it. But then I saw AvatarPipTook's fanfics and enjoyed them. So much so, I wanted to work with her and knew she would help me get this idea turned into a story, while giving her own ideas and suggestions. May be my idea, but she gave enough to make it hers too, so I got PipTook to thank there. We would have had this out sooner, but we had to wait for Book 4 to end, boy did that change some parts in the story up... R&R!**_

_**AvatarPipTook- I was excited to have someone want to write with me so I took the chance to. Boy, it's been fun writing this with ADH. Anyways, neither of us owns the 'Legend of Korra' characters. **_

_**Just a warning, this one is unlike anything else I've written. Both of us kinda forgot to install a filter on our language. If swearing offends you, then you probably shouldn't read this. Oh, and blood. Lots of it. I hope you enjoy this story.  
><strong>_

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><p>It was a simple dark night in Republic City. The moon was out, slightly covered by clouds, but still lighting up parts of the city along with the Spirit Portal. Many of its citizens have gone to sleep, but some still linger away from their beds at this time. Some of them simply mind their own business, some who patrol the area, some with unsavory plans... and one with one goal in mind...<p>

"Hey Kan, 'nother round!" A voice ran in one of the many bars the city held, one simply known as "Kan's".

The voice belonged to a tall and lanky looking guy with long black greasy hair, who couldn't be more than twenty-nine years old and had the attitude of an ignorant drunk zebra donkey.

"We're going for the record!" He laughed as did his three buddies, all various sizes and heights. But they all had something in common, besides being drunken morons. They all were Triad members.

"We're three drinks in Okashi and already I's not doing well!" One of them, a heavy set one with a shaved head said to the tall lanky one, known as Okashi, who laughed as did the other two.

"Really? Big boy can't hold his booze?! Come on Shu. Don't be a pansy about it. You better keep going and drink till you can't feel feelings anymore!"

"Oh, well by the spirits, 'cuse me for being a... a... what was the term again?"

"Lightweight?" The other two members said, both identical twins as they both had dark brown mohawks and tan skin, in contrast to the other two's lighter skin tone. One of them, Go, had a goatee while the other, Kho, had a soul patch.

"What the triplets said..." Shu slurred as both twins looked at each other in a deadpan sense. "Speaking of which, why are you two not drinking?"

"We've told you..." Go began to speak.

"We don't indulge in drinking..." Kho finished before both proved their points by sipping their glasses of water.

"Bunch of sissy asses..." Okashi snickered as the young waitress working the shift handed him and Shu their shots. "Thanks dollface..." He said, smacking her ass, getting a harsh comment from her as she left to go serve another drink to some guy in the dark corner of the bar, before looking at his boys. "We should be fucking celebrating, we not only managed to rob two stores, but also managed to evade those metalbending jagoff cops, which as we all know, not an easy thing to do. So as far as I'm concerned, we've earned the right to celebrate. Let's not waste it..." He said, about to down his shot before he noticed something. "Son of a..."

"What?" Shu asked, noticing Okashi's look.

"Your six o'clock Shu..." Okashi said as the other three looked, seeing a seedy guy with what looked to be with his girl of the night at his side, seeming to try charming her, somewhat managing too as she smiled as both decided to begin leaving. "It's that guy, Piadu, the one who owns the Mover Theater on 15 Novack Road."

"The one who skimped out on our cut?" Kho noted to which Okashi downed his shot.

"The very same. Come on boys, it's time to talk to Piadu about the rent..."

The other three could tell party time was over and back to business, so they paid for their drinks and followed the Mover Theater owner and his lady friend into an alley, making sure they weren't seen.

"So, I know Varrick, the guy who invented Movers. Maybe I can put in a good word for ya'... If you return the favor..." Piadu said, clearly having one thing in mind.

His date, a young Earth Nation girl who clearly hadn't gotten past the legal limit yet, smiled knowing what this meant. "Oh, do I now?" She said before noticing something off behind Piadu. "Ah... where did that wall behind you come from?"

"Wall?" Piadu said, clearly confused by this, turning to see that the girl was right, there was a rock wall behind him, even know they just came that way. "What the heck?"

"What the heck indeed..." Okashi's voice rang, making both see that the Triad member was sitting on the top of the wall, giving an evil smile. "Was wondering that too, you know, when we noticed our cut didn't come in..."

Suddenly Shu came up and grabbed the girl, freaking her out, making her scream as Piadu knew what this meant. "Ah, thanks for walking me around. I think I know my way-" He said, about to run away, leaving his date behind before his hand was caught and frozen against the stone wall by Go, who had his now empty glass of water. "Okay, can tell you're a little-" The Mover owner tried to explain, pointing at the gang leader with his free hand before a sharp pain ran through it as did the ice icicle now sticking out of it, making him scream. "AH!"

"Oh, he's more than a little mad..." Kho noted, also having his empty glass of water in hand, having just did the deed.

"Try very mad." Go finished for his brother.

"Thanks for the twin magic there." Okashi said, coming down from the wall, landing on his feet, stumbling a bit. "Ah, damn! My foot, I'm okay..." He grunted a bit in pain before getting back into form, bending some of the stone from the wall into his hand, making a makeshift knife and waving it around. "So, again, our "Rent", you know, so we don't mess up your theater. Where is it? Do you got it on you?"

"A-Ah, ah, the money, I have the money... well, not all of it-" Piadu said before he felt a small painful jab in his shoulder, thanks to Okashi's stone knife, it's owner giving a look of mock confusion.

"Oh, well, where is it? 'Cause if I recall right, you owe us, what? 3,800 Yuan?"

"5,000 Yuan actually." Shu noted, holding his hand over the girl's mouth, so her screams would be muffled as she struggled more. "And please stop struggling. I don't wanna hurt a pretty face."

"Oh, right, five grand. Thanks Shu." Okashi said, giving a smile to his partner before replacing it with a serious, if mad look to Piadu. "So... yeah, five grand you owe us, and that fancy wine you and the clearly underage date of yours were having, how much did that cost? 'Cause I'm pretty sure that shit wasn't cheap."

"Look, give me a week and I'll pay you!" Piadu begged, feeling the pain rise up more as Okashi jabbed his shoulder wound more with the knife. "AH! Give me time! I'll pay you!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, you're bankrupt now, but not in the case of currency good sir..." Okashi note before taking out the knife, making Piadu sigh, thankful the knife was out of his shoulder. "But of your life on the other hand..."

Before the Mover Theater owner could respond, the stone knife of Okashi's was slammed into the back of his neck and out the front, making his eyes open in shock and give off blood filled gurgles as he slumped over dead, still frozen against the wall as the young girl screamed (Or at least a muffled one as Shu's hand was still over her mouth) at the sight, trying to escape. Go and Kho took out the dead man's wallet and search through it.

"Sixty Yuan..." Go noticed as he pulled out the Yuans, confused at the amount.

"I think our recently deceased pal planned to skip out on the bill." Kho noticed.

"Eh, win some, lose some." Okashi noted before seeing the girl, an idea coming to mind. "Oh the other hand, I think we might have some entertainment for tonight, right boys?" He said, look of evil in his face which the girl realized what that plan was and that made her scream more as the others grinned. "Shu, hold her down. Go, keep out for any cops and Kho, you wait your turn..." he said, turning to the brother's before noticing something... completely amiss, "Ah… Go, where's Kho?"

Go looked to his side, Kho wasn't there, which was impossible, he was just there! "Brother?"

"The hell?" Okashi noted before a drop of something dripped onto the girl's face which Shu noticed.

"Woah, Okashi..." Shu said, fear slightly in his voice as he looked at the drop as did Okashi and Go as the girl rubbed it on her finger and looked at it. It was red and sticky... like blood.

Before the three Triad members and the girl could make another move, something big fell onto some nearby trash cans hard, rolling over to the ground next to them. It was Kho, or, what resembled him as his head looked to have been split in two vertically, the sight making the girl scream and shocking the three gang members.

"BROTHER!" Go cried out, rushing over to his brother's corpse.

"What in the name of the fucking spirits did THAT?!" Shu asked, wondering what could have done that.

Okashi wasn't having any of it, using his bending to make up a stone axe. "Don't know, don't care. He's dead. Come on Go!"

Go, holding his brother's corpse cried, seeming not to listen, Okashi called out to him again, getting his attention. "I shall avenge you brother..." He said, standing up and looking at his partner's, not noticing what suddenly appeared behind him, but both Okashi and Shu saw it.

"GO! Behind you!" Shu yelled out as they saw what looked like a lone figure suddenly grab Go as the waterbender turned around, but then both seemed to vanish into the shadows as Go's screams faded away.

Both of the remaining member's rushed over to the dark area, but neither Go or the figure was there. "WHAT THE FUCK?! WHAT WAS THAT?!" Shu yelled, looking at Okashi scared.

"It's gotta be a trick. There must be a hidden passage… must be some trick to it..." Okashi tried to register, trying just to figure out what they just witnessed before suddenly Go's burst out from another shadowy spot in the alleyway, his chest looking to be ripped open as Go's face was frozen in horror.

"Must be a trick my ass!" Shu called out to his partner, looking at his eyes. "I know what's going on!" He realized to which Okashi looked.

"Well, tell me!"

"I thought it was just rumors, but-" He stopped, looking behind Okashi, who turned and saw the lone figure once more, but both had a better look at him... Or somewhat as it looked like a homeless man in his late-forties, clad in dark clothing, shirt, pants, boots, gloves, even a hooded jacket as he had long dirty black hair and beard. And he had what looked like a bloodstained katana in hand with a sheath on a sling on his back. But they seemed to notice some sort of bandage over his right eye and ear area and one lone eye staring at them, as if asking for them to make a move.

Shu was frightened at this, he didn't expect this, but Okashi, trying to hide his fright, pushed at him. "Well, what are you waiting for, knock his lights out and let's run!"

"Hell with that man!" Shu responded, not wanting to.

"DO IT!" Okashi yelled, pushing the big guy towards the figure who stood still. Shu turned to Okashi who signaled him to proceed, then turned back to the figure and gulped.

"Don't make me hurt you man..." The scared Triad member said, getting no response. "... Dangit..." He groaned and rushed over to the figure, delivering a punch to his face. But it was oh so short lived as the figure no sold the punch, turning his face to look Shu in the eyes, his own eye slowly turning from a calm hazel to a glowing red as he put away his katana. "... Ah... Take your best shot?" Shu weakly said.

And that the figure did, punching Shu in the face so hard, it not only snapped his neck, but turned it in a 180 degree angle, making Shu's face look right a horrified Okashi before the figure poked Shu's chest with his finger, making the corpse fall backwards onto the ground.

That was it for Okashi, who tried run away, only to bump into the figure, confusing and horrifying him as suddenly what seemed to be black tentacles, almost like they're made of shadows came out from the darkest parts of the alleyway, grabbing the member by his hand's and lifting him up. "AH! STOP! PLEASE! Spare me man, spare me. Want cash? Take all that is mine and their money. Just spare me!"

The figure looked into his eyes with his own eye, it still glowing red. "... Nah... ." The figure asked, his voice bit raspy, age clearly heard before suddenly a lash was heard cracking, making Okashi gasp in shock, looking down and seeing that he was missing the lower half of his body as it slumped onto the ground, his entrails slowly drooping out of his wound.

Okashi, almost at death's door, just was able to look at the figure face as he gave one last gasp or two as the figure shook his head "Not worth it."

Then the tentacles let go of the upper half of Okashi, it fell hard on the ground as the tentacles seemed to vanish into the shadows. It almost seemed like they slinked towards the figure, who decided to walk away, but after hearing a quick whimper, he turned to the direction of the source and saw the girl, frightened at the killer.

But the figure simply kneeled down.

"... Go home..." Was all he said before walking away, leaving the girl to watch him as he seemed to walk into the shadows and seemingly vanish into them...


	2. Chapter 1

_**ADH- So, after a violent prologue like that, how do PipTook and me follow that up? Well, just read on and find out. Oh and be sure to leave reviews too!**_

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><p>She had seen many grotesque sights in her life. The Triads were fairly horrible with their fighting. Amon taking her bending away gave her nightmares. The sight of Korra falling to the ground after the poison was consuming her; those were horrible, but the sight before her... She just could not find words for it. There was a neck stabbing. The split skull was gut wrenching and one of her officers had to leave due to finding a rat pigeon already consuming one of the member's chest cavity. Not to mention Mako... the firebender was emptying his stomach of the morning's meal.<p>

"Get it together gentlemen. It's just another murder scene." She said feeling sick herself but she could at least keep it in.

"No offense, but this isn't just some murder scene, Chief," one of the officers spoke up, "Shit. This was a massacre, in the name of the spirits, we even got a guy split in two at the frickin' waist!" he pointed out at said corpse.

Chief Bei Fong let out a long sigh of frustration before walking over to Mako. He was now standing up straight, recovering.

"I want a basic report by the end of today."

"Yes Chief." He said, trying to look as professional as he possibly could.

The sounds of another cop vomiting reminded Lin as to why she was leaving now.

Now that he was in charge of the crime scene, Mako began taking photographs of each body. He had to take a break from his work often just to recover from being sick again. He made a mental note to check his files on the Triple Threat Triads as he was beginning to think that this was possibly a gang related turf-war fight. No, not a fight. This looked like an ambush, but by which Triad? He kneeled by another body. His brow lifted as he looked at the man's neck.

"I guess that taught you to watch your back." Mako commented as he stared at the man. The man's neck was twisted unnaturally but then he noticed a bruise on the cheek of the guy, like he was punched hard... and it was in direction of how the neck snapped.

"Detective, we've found a live one."

That snapped the detective out of it as he quickly rushed over. The cop moved revealing a young woman. Her eyes were still wide as she sat behind dumpsters.

"Let's get her to the hospital. I will be over there soon to question her."

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><p>He took his time getting to the hospital. A part of him was still reeling over the crime scene and another just wanted some tea and food to fill his stomach again. The second time tasting breakfast left a foul taste in his mouth. He stopped by his apartment making sure to brush his teeth before doing anything else. It was almost to quiet though. He swore that Korra would be awake by now.<p>

After setting the teapot on the stove, he knocked on her bedroom door. When no one answered, he opened it. Sure enough, Korra was still sleeping. Mako walked in and pulled the blankets off of her.

"Get up Korra. It's almost midday."

"Go away." She mumbled. As one of her arms began to search for her blanket, Mako couldn't help but give a small smile.

"You are the laziest Avatar ever."

"Am not and you know it..." she slowly sat up rubbing her face, "There's just nothing that needs the Avatar's powers right now."

"Alright. I'm about to go back to work soon. Hopefully I am home tonight. Can you at least get up for the day?"

Korra threw a thumbs up at him causing Mako to chuckle as he left the room. He headed back to the kitchen for his cup of tea and snack. He quickly ate in silence before Korra walked out in her sleeveless shirt and pajamas.

"The water is still hot if you would like any." He said standing up, "I have to go though. I'm working on a strange murder case and it's already made me sick."

Korra stretched and yawned, "Sounds wonderful. I'm going to just drink tea and listen to radio shows today. These soap operas are getting addictive."

Mako rolled his eyes before giving her a pat on the back, "Just don't burn anything in boredom... Or paint anything."

This roommate mocked him with a fake salute, "Yes sir, Detective. This block will still be standing when you get home."

The detective grunted in a humored way as he walked out of the apartment. He put his helmet on and got onto his motorcycle.

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><p>When he was finally allowed into the woman's room, he saw that she was still shaken up but was talking. One of the officers had started to tell jokes attempting to lighten the mood. His latest one was interrupted when Mako cleared his throat.<p>

"Miss," he started calmly, "I am Detective Mako. I'm here to ask you what happened last night. Can I get your name and can you start at what you were doing?"

"My name is Song. I was walking with a Mover Theater owner. I think he said his name was Piadu."

"Why were you with him?"

"I was... He saw me at the local bar Kan's and we started talking."

"Kan's? You don't look legal to drink. How old are you?"

Song looked down, but proceeded to talk. "... sixteen... but I didn't drink. I didn't get the chance."

"And you were walking with him before it happened; why?" He asked before realizing why as she blushed and turned away. "Oh... Well, can you continue about what happened?"

She continued to retell the story often having to stop. Tears had been gathering in her eyes the entire time and her voice choked up often. It was getting to the point where Mako had to repeat the story just to make sure that he understood her.

"Let me get this straight... again," Mako sighed, fighting the urge to pinch his nose, "Piadu started talking to you in Kan's Bar. He knew you were underage. Then the Triple Threats come because he owed them money so they kill him. Then out of nowhere this man shows up with a sword, kills the men in various brutal ways and then disappears?"

Song nodded before adding, "He told me to go home, like I was supposed to forget what I saw."

Mako nodded, "Thank you Miss Song. I hope you feel better. The officers and nurses here will make sure you are taken care of."

With that, he left the room. He would head back to the police station to file his report. On his desk, he was given an older report from one of the other cops about a former Equalist whose face had been sliced off. It was a very similar style to the one Triad member whose head was sliced in two, but there were no witnesses to confirm anything. When he brought his report to Chief Bei Fong, she gave him the same reaction. She pinched her nose, mumbling some choice words that the press would have a field day with.

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><p>The hallway to his apartment looked marvelous as he left the stairwell. He was looking forward to flopping onto the couch and catching the latest game show on the radio. Mako really needed something brainless, yet funny... and then he walked into his apartment. The fresh scent of paint filled his nose. His once white and green walls were now crimson and gold. Korra was bored again. At least she remembered to cover the furniture with cloth... and she was singing along with the radio like a fool.<p>

"Korra? What is this?" Mako held his arms out.

The Avatar was wearing a pair of messy coveralls. Her short hair was pulled back and she had some paint on her nose.

"The room felt like it needed a change." she then sighed, "I'm bored Mako. I haven't had an attempt on my life or someone wanting to destroy the world in the last two years. President Raiko barely lets me come to some of his meetings."

"Sounds like someone needs to try and take over the world again to get you going." Mako snickered, "Maybe I can pull some strings and have Kuvira released."

"No, I don't think she would even think it funny. I'm almost tempted to don both a cap and mask and then become a vigilante in the city. Asami already has me taking a small vacation from her place. Oh, maybe I should talk to Bolin about getting a part in one of his movers."

"Why are you not staying at Asami's again?"

Korra breathed in deeply frowning slightly, "She wanted help with a room. It had this old wallpaper so I brought some random paint colors and decided to use airbending to paint the room. Well, let's just say that some of her antique furniture became pink and orange."

"Korra, you need a new hobby. Painting valuables is not a way to make your girlfriend happy... Trust me, I know."

"I know you know, Mr. Cool-under-fire." She then pointed her paint brush towards the kitchen, "I made dinner this time and I managed to not burn it! I am becoming the perfect roommate during this down time."

"That only took you five years to learn." Mako stated before heading to the kitchen, "Tastes good too. I thought not doing your Avatar duties was a nice change?"

"It was the first year and then I decided to become a painter. We all know that I don't paint well. No one lets me paint their rooms! I don't even charge them anything!"

Mako laughed, "I know but this time it looks good. I wonder how long it will take until the landlord decides that he doesn't?"

Korra shrugged, "I'll work my Avatar ways and change his mind."

Mako shook his head. "That man is too stubborn. Not even ten Avatars in Avatar States would change his mind."

The Avatar's shoulders fell forward, "Fine, I'll repaint the walls... again."

"Good idea. It will keep you busy tomorrow."

Korra put her brush away and began to set the table allowing Mako to change out of his uniform.

Minutes later, they were both lounging on the couch. The radio was playing a comedy show that Bolin was lending his voice to for a small part as a vendor. Mako had his head lying back on a pillow, his eyes closed as he was listening closely to the radio. They were simply enjoying the rare night of Mako being off work and enjoyed each others company. He eventually rolled to his side and laid next to Korra allowing her to knead his shoulders.

"You weren't lying when you said you had a rough day."

Mako let out a happy grunt. Rough did not explain it enough.

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><p>Across the city, a single man walked to his apartment by the pier, minding his own business as he just finished his work shift, sun slowly coming down. Clad in a simple factory worker's uniform, he was in his early forties with short black hair and a lantern chin.<p>

He passed by various kids bending up some water and using it for a water fight. He grunted at the sight. Then he almost bumped into the local homeless guy, an old man with wild bushy white hair and beard. "Oh, sorry Liu." the man said.

"Ah, it be alrighty Dae-Su, could be worse. The ol' monkey dragons be watching out for me as I be the Magic Mushroom king wouldn't let me get hurt- LOOK, A ROCK!" The clearly insane hobo said running over to not a rock but a trash can, tripping into it. "OW! Not a rock!"

"... huh." The man known as Dae-Su said before resuming on his way and passing by another homeless man near the shadows. He seemed to be sitting and resting. Never saw that one before, but he didn't care, some people end up homeless. It happens.

He unlocked his door to his apartment and entered it. He soon turned on the lights and could hear a couple seemingly... having one of their private moments. "It's gonna be a long night..." He said to himself taking out some veggies about to prepare a meal.

Then some argument was heard catching his attention as it was coming from the halls. He opened the door and seen some unruly looking teens looking to be in the middle of a dispute, something about how fast they can run through the halls and hit against a wall, something that made Dae-Su groan internally. He closed the door and locked it.

Suddenly, a noise was heard like a slither. Dae-Su turned around seeing nothing out of place. Well, some dirty clothes were on the ground, but that was normal. "Huh..." He said, "Must be an animal in the walls. Super needs to do something about it." He resumed cutting up some food.

But the sound rang through again, this time louder causing Dae-Su to jump in surprise. When he turned around, there was nothing. Now this was getting weird.

So taking the knife he was using to cut his food, Dae-Su slowly began to walk around the apartment looking around just for anything off. As he did, he swore something was around. It certainly made a loud enough sound.

But alas, he didn't find anything. Nothing that could be deemed messed up or just overall creepy.

CRASH!

That scared Dae-Su and he turned to his door. Something banged against it. Slowly approaching it as silently as he could, he got to it looking in the peephole ready for whatever was behind it.

But all he saw were two punks walking in the hallway looking to be bragging about their stupid stunt, rubbing their sore areas of their bodies. That made the older man just shake his head.

"Fucking idiots..."

Then the lights went out making the man groan. "Oh, I will have a word with the Super about this..."

So, he turned to put his knife away but suddenly tripped into something, dropping his knife and falling on the ground. "AH!" Dae-Su said grunting in pain as he looked at his leg... but then realized what he tripped on.

It was... some sort of dark tentacle that slithered, surprising him. He then heard the knife behind him as it was picked up. Looking back, he saw the tentacle slither back to its source, a dark looking man.

"Spirits..." Dae-Su said, horrified at what he saw, looking into the man's lone eye. "Please, no, ha-" He said before the man raised his hand making a tentacle burst from the shadows around his neck and threw him across the counter against the wall.

"AH!" Dae-Su yelled in pain trying to get up using the counter to help him. Suddenly the lone man grabbed his hand by the wrist, holding it down before striking the knife down and severing three of Dae-Su's finger's off to his shock.

"Ah, ah, AAHHH!" He screamed trying to stop the blood squirting out of his wound as he ran to the window. He tried to knock on the windows to get those Liu's attention but the crazed homeless man didn't seem to notice him as he was focused on eating out of the garbage. Then the man grabbed him by his shoulders and back of the head with his hands.

"No you fucking don't!" The man said slamming Dae-Su face first into the window, cracking it and busting his forehead open in the process before being thrown on the ground.

In bloody pain, Dae-Su tried crawling away before the man stepped down on his back with all of his weight making him scream as he was picked up by his back and slammed into the ceiling before falling belly first back on the ground.

Next thing Dae-Su knew, he was being thrown through his door, smashing through it against the hallway wall. He looked up as blood was messing up his vision but he didn't see the man. He knew he had to get out so he rushed to his neighbor's door, knocking frantically on it.

"Let me in! LET ME IN! HELP! ME!" Dae-Su screamed, but it seemed they didn't want to be involved. Then he stopped as he heard the slither, turning to see the man behind him with his katana in hand. "Please, have mercy!"

"Sorry... All out of that." The man said before suddenly slicing sideways at Dae-Su's head before he could make another sound, slicing his head in half at the jawline and watching the top half hit the ground as the body just stood there, blood shooting up and hitting the ceiling and walls as if frozen in place.

The man then walked silently back into Dae-Su's apartment, looking around for something before seeing it. It was a newspaper and one certain article caught his attention. A small wicked smile formed on his face as he heard the neighbor's open their door, seeing Dae-Su's corpse and screaming in horror.

That was his cue to leave, taking the newspaper with him as he simply walked into the shadowy corner of one room. When the neighbors looked in there, no one was there, not even in the shadows.


	3. Chapter 2

**ADH- Another murder has happened and now both Lin and Mako... mostly Mako is on the case. Just who is this killer and why is he killing? Well, let's find out! Anything you gotta say PipTook?**

**PipTook- Yeah, this is our first time writing a Korrasami pairing fic, so if it seems out of character or such, please let us know. We had to rewrite all of our funny Makorra scenes (some we kept because I am still a Makorra shipper at heart, even if it's not romantic) to go along with the show's finale... which I did love. So enjoy and please review!**

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><p>A serial killer; that is what Mako needed to start the day. There was another murder and this one was not as kind as the last two he was also investigating. The latest apartment looked the part of a home ambush.<p>

"Spirits, someone made this shithole even more of a shithole!" Mako mumbled to himself, "And there's a finger. Great."

He asked to go to the apartment alone. The hall where the body was found already was crowded.

"And there's another finger," Mako sighed, "No, three. What is with this guy?"

From what Mako had gathered, the last person who saw the victim was last a vagrant outside the apartment building. While mentally disturbed, the homeless man did explain that he didn't see anyone follow the man into his home... before swearing he saw the spirits eat cake in a tea shop with a bear. That was the part where Mako let him go. He could deal with stories from witnesses but this crazy man was taking the cake...He slapped himself for that last pun. Mako really needed to stop listening to those silly radio shows.

He returned to his office desk an hour later and began to hit his head on the desk as he processed everything. He really did not have anything on this killer except that he was disappearing in the dark after cutting bodies into pieces. So far, he's noted that the killer has killed gangsters and a former Equalist. This guy though, he didn't have anything other than him being some factory worker, which didn't help his forming headache.

Mako grabbed his phone and called home. He expected that Korra would pick up. She was supposed to be repainting the room again.

"Hello?"

"Hey Korra, it's me." He softly said into the phone. He sounded tired.

"Oh hey Mako. What's going on?"

"It's going to be one long night. Can you call Asami that I can't make it?"

"Was there another murder?" her voice sounded concerned.

"Yeah. I'm thinking it's a serial killer but I'll tell you more when I get home."

After their goodbyes, Mako rubbed his face before getting up to grab something to drink. He walked to the locker room and changed into some training clothes. He needed another way to think about work and burning training dummies was perfect.

The dummy rocked back and forth as he hit it. He wasn't using his firebending yet because he wanted to feel pain elsewhere rather than just his head. Punching the bag was good enough. His glove covered fists smashed into their intended targets.

Some of the officers reported that a kid saw another homeless man in the area. He would have to check the homeless out after his training time.

Then a thought came to Mako's mind. He remembered the one gang member who had his neck snapped. He had the bruise on his face in the direction of the where the neck twisted to. This gave Mako an idea of going up to another dummy and punching it where the cheek would be as hard as he could. But it didn't work as planned; it just made his hand hurt.

"Dang!" he said rubbing his hand and thought to himself, "Whoever did that to the gangster must be strong enough to do something like that."

* * *

><p>Later, Mako traveled over to where the kid had seen the one homeless man and saw a couple of them but none struck him as the violent type. In fact, some were completely friendly and wished they had something to offer but hadn't seen any new homeless for the past year or so.<p>

This fact confused the detective. If there were no new homeless people around this area then who was this guy?

When Chief Bei Fong found him in the morning, Mako had stretched out across the floor under his desk. Paperwork and notes covered his desk. A box of noodles had fallen off the table at some time during the night. His shirt and shoes were thrown across the room. She guessed he worked all night, found nothing and wanted to burn something but avoided it.

"Kid, wake up and go home. I can't have you treating my police station like your apartment. It smells like day old noodles in here."

Mako grumbled something before gathering his stuff and cleaning his desk. When he got home, it was dead quiet like it normally was in the morning. He took a shower and headed into Korra's bedroom. She was sprawled out on her bed. It made it difficult to get under the covers without waking her. They usually shared a bed after a rough day. It was a mutual agreement to do so as friends and Mako needed his friend's sleepy support.

"It's too early to get up, Asami." Korra had sputtered out with ease.

"I'm not waking you. I'm climbing into bed with you... and I'm Mako."

With that, he was able to get into bed but it was short lived as Korra practically rolled towards him.

"Warm and you smell like soap and noodles, Asami."

Mako sighed, "Go back to sleep Korra."

"I am... And you ruined my lovely dream, City Boy."

He chuckled as he laid there. Eventually he would fall to sleep.

* * *

><p>When he woke up, he heard womanly giggles from the doorway. Asami and Korra stood at the door, dressed in richly fashioned dresses, watching him wake up. Asami covered her mouth, knowing she was being rude. Korra just about fell over laughing.<p>

"Alright, what is so friggin' funny, lovebirds?" He asked with his voice raspy from lack of use. Asami pointed towards the other side of the bed. Bolin laid there, his head propped up on an elbow.

"Hello bro. Mako. Bro Mako." He started before grinning, "You overslept and now we're late for our reservations. You know; the ones that Asami had to change twice this week."

The older brother gave him a glare. He ripped the blankets off before kicking them all out of Korra's bedroom. He rushed into his own room. Minutes later he rushed out still fixing his bowtie. He paused as his three friends laughed at him again.

"What's so damn funny this time? We're late."

Asami pointed to the clock on the wall indicating that they were not late. Korra was just evil and had called them over when he was still sleeping.

"Are you fucking kidding me? I've been working on a serial killer case that's kept me at work all night."

Bolin started in between his laughter, "You dare to even compare your job to the Avatar's? I'm pretty sure her job is the hardest to deal with."

Mako was fuming as he spoke, "She hasn't done anything but paint and piss people off with her boredom, namely Asami, our landlord and myself, for the past two years!"

"... And cook. I've gotten better at that!" Korra adds as she grins crookedly.

"I'm not really mad at her anymore." Asami wrapped her arm around the Avatar's waist, "I'm just afraid to see my place change colors every day and she keeps you busy when I'm at work."

Mako's eyebrows took turns raising and lowering as he pondered the fates of his wicked friends. Then he thought that it would be easier to just go and eat with them.

They took Asami's new model of Satomobile to Kwan's Cuisine. Unlike her previous models, this one had quite the amount of power in the engine. Enough power to get Mako to shout something about getting pulled over if the beat cops ever saw them. She parked it for the valet to take it and warned him to be careful with it before walking in.

"Good Evening, Miss Sato," The host said with a smile, "Avatar Korra. It's an honor to have you both dine with us tonight. Right this way. Your booth is private like requested."

After ordering their meals, they began to catch up. Asami told them about her latest project of trying to get a propulsion engine to work. Her visions of making flight faster were beginning to consume her social life a bit, much to Korra's dislike. Bolin spoke of his new mover and the radio show, in spite of Mako's warning not to hear it, he was about to star in. Mako knew Korra was going to ask too many questions about it. He never figured she'd be a fan of radio shows. The Avatar tried to talk about what she was doing when her Avatar duties did not need her, but they all knew of her new hobbies. Then came the questions of the serial killer. He explained what they knew only to see Bolin throw out a newspaper article saying it was the ghost of Amon wanting revenge.

"What? Who wrote that?" Mako said grabbing the paper from his brother, "Bolin, this is a tabloid. Nothing is ever true in these."

Korra raised an eyebrow, not quite understanding what a tabloid was. Asami laughed softly. "It's alright Bolin. Everyone falls for them once in a while. I even had one of my engineers ask me about the article about Korra and me eloping."

"What? Us eloping?" Korra nearly shouted, "Where is this? I wanna know the name of the writer so I can stuff this article down his throat!"

The engineer laughed, "Feeling a bit violent all of the sudden?"

Korra let out a pout as she realized she should not have said that. Asami then looked at the cover page to check the date. It was the paper with the picture that was artfully done but was completely false. The Water Tribe woman couldn't tell the difference.

"We've never been photographed kissing in public. We've been careful about who knows about our relationship. Where'd they get this picture?" The Avatar crossed her arms.

"It's a fake. It is a picture of you kissing Mako before we all went to the South Pole for the Glacier Spirits Festival and one of me doing who knows what. They cut and pasted the two photos together and then added a background." She then pointed to Korra's hair in the picture, "See, you had your wolf tails at the time this was taken."

Korra brought the paper closer quickly scanning through the article, "Oh, I see it now. I remember that kiss. It does look real though. Wait, 'proposed to the engineer, dressed like a polar bear-dog?' What the heck? I would think that I would know if I proposed."

Mako stole it from Korra and grinned widely, "I do like this picture. Can I take it home with us?"

Bolin agreed. Mako's comment earned him and Bolin ice cubes from the women's drinks being tossed at him.

"Ah, so cold!" Bolin whined.

"Anyway..." Mako said as he wiped some of the water off of himself with a napkin. "All I know about this killer is that he seems to be creative and likes to use some kind of sharp blade that can go through flesh and bone. He seems to be strong enough to twist bones with ease and seems to vanish into the dark areas." He sighed before drinking his water.

"... you sure it's not the ghost of Amon?" Bolin said after a slight moment of silence to which Mako looked deadpan.

"No... Not possible. It seems the murders began with a former Equalist too. Wai-Tsu... The rest of the victims are some Triad members and a factory worker. In fact, from what I read from that last guy's file, he actually used to work at..." Mako stopped what he was saying as his eyes met Asami's, who was confused as the other two at the table.

"What?" was what the businesswoman asked.

"He worked at your factories when your dad still owned it. He worked close to him." Mako realized. "Oh man, he was an Equalist..."

"Wait, a former Equalist, gang members and a possible Equalist..." Korra began putting it together. "This guy you're after, he must be some vigilante on the loose."

"So much for your vigilante idea, Korra. He's doing it for you." Mako sighed.

* * *

><p>Oddly enough, just a street or two over from where the four friends were having their dinner, the lone figure walked among the streets, blending in with all the benders and non-benders. Well, mostly as he still looked homeless but it was more the way he dressed, hood up as it started raining slightly.<p>

The figure wasn't bothered, not one bit as he kept walking. It had been a day since he killed last. But he didn't have the need to kill, not at the moment as he stopped at a local shop and opened the door.

The owner and clerk of the store, a young woman with short brown hair looking to be from the Water Tribe, saw the figure and jumped a bit.

"Oh my!" She said, surprised at dingy look of the figure who didn't seemed bothered by her remark, even as she tried to compose herself. "I'm sorry sir, just didn't expect any costumers this late and just before closing." She said seeing the figure took off his hood. His bandages were noticeable under his long hair, frightening her again. "Woah!"

But instead of being offended, the figure gave her a small smile and chuckled. "It's the bandage, yes?" He asked seeing her realize he didn't mean harm and she calmed down slowly. "Spooky, I know." He said giving a small laugh. "I apologize for frightening you, miss?... Sorry, my mind is blank as I don't know your name?"

The clerk looked at the figure, still unsure, but nodded. "... Vuong"

"Ms. Vuong, odd name for a beauty from the Water Tribe." The figure responded with kindness in his voice.

"My..." Vuong said feeling a bit red at the comment. "Mother's from the Water Tribe, my father's Earth Kingdom."

"Ah, now that makes sense." The figure said, looking around and grabbing a newspaper from a nearby rack and took out a wallet. "Just the paper please." He said taking out a bill and gave it to her to which she rang it through the register.

"Okay then, have a nice night..." Vuong said, before realizing something. "Oh, I'm sorry, never got your name."

The figure nodded raising up his hood. "It's Hattori..." He said, turning and about to walk out the door when Vuong called out to him.

"... Am I going see you around here more?"

That resulted in a smile from the man now known as Hattori. "Oh, don't worry about that. I'm sure you'll hear about me soon enough..." He said raising his hood up and leaving the store, confusing the store clerk.

As he left the store, he saw that the rain was coming down more. He sighed as he began to walk among the streets. "Oh, be quiet..." he said as a young couple passed on by, hearing that.

"What was that?" The boyfriend asked his girlfriend wondering as Hattori turned to them.

"Oh, sorry, talking to myself." He said walking more, leaving the couple alone. "I was being nice... oh, shut up, she was cute... yes, yes, and I know... what are you, my voice in my head?" He asked talking to himself. Stopping, he realized what he just said. "Oh, shut up!" He said suddenly slamming his fist on his head, making him grunt in pain. "Ah, damn it!" He said confusing some bystanders as they watched his actions.

"Okay, dumb move..." Hattori muttered to himself. "Just leave me be..." He said waiting a couple seconds. "Huh, actually worked." He said resuming his walk before entering a small little inn, walking up the steps and entering the room.

There wasn't much to the room but it had a bed, bath, radio and that's all he needed.

"Now, let's look at the paper..." He said as he looked at the paper.

He saw that on the front page was a picture of Dae-Su's crime scene with blood splattered around the area.

"Huh..." He said seeing no picture of his victim's corpse. "To think those newspaper hounds would take the chance to put the corpse on the front page." He noted as the shadows cast from objects in the room looked to have shook. He looked around at them. "Never get used to that... Oh well..."

Putting the paper down, he laid down and as he did, the bandages came off and laid on the paper. "Two down..." He said resting his eye as he slept. Tomorrow, it's back to business.

* * *

><p>The loving couple had just found their bed after hours of drinking and laughing with Bolin and Mako. They had stayed out late and were now taking their drunken minds to bed... sort of. Asami and Korra had just reached the bed when the phone rang. Both shouted their curses at the ringing bell.<p>

"Hello?" Asami responded. She was frustrated with the interruption.

The person on the other line apologized for calling so late and she soon passed the phone to an angry Korra.

"No... You're not interrupting anything... important... Maybe a few too many glasses of wine? I can't remember right now. You need me to leave now?" she grinded her teeth as Asami started to play around with her collarbone, teasing her, "Right, I'll be at the station in a few minutes to catch that train. Yeah, I bet you are. Bye."

She then slammed the receiver down, "Damn it. Worthless Presidents and really Asami? As I'm talking on the phone?"

Asami grinned, "What was that anyways?"

"I have fifteen minutes to catch a train to Ba Sing Se. Apparently some faithful supporters of Kuvira are still causing trouble and his police officers can't handle it." She said as she grabbed a pair of trousers and a shirt, "And this was supposed to be a good night..."

"What am I suppose to do now? We don't get much time together." Asami pouted.

Korra shrugged, "I don't know. I have a train I have to catch."

"That's mean."

"I'm sorry, Asami. I'll make it up to you." She stumbled out the bedroom door.

"Wait, I'm coming to at least say good bye before you go."

The Avatar rushed to gather her stuff as she got dressed. They were met by a city driver before he drove her and Asami to the station. They were met by another city official who gave her the train tickets and escorted them both to the platform. Korra stopped before the train doors and turned to meet Asami.

"Hey, good luck with your project. This shouldn't take too long, hopefully." She said as she took his hands, "Stay safe, alright?"

The engineer chuckled, "I should be the one telling you to be safe."

"Avatar Korra, the train is leaving."

She gave the man a nod before kissing Asami, "I love you."

"Love you too. You better get on. You've been waiting for some kind of action."

"Ha. Ha ha, tell me about it."

She turned to get on the train, not letting go until she had to. Asami waved until she could no longer see her. Then she let out a long sigh. Just when she wanted Korra back at her place, she had to leave for a short while. "Be safe..." She said to herself, sadness on her face as she turned and left.


	4. Chapter 3

**ADH- Well, we got a name for our killer. Quite the charmer, ain't he? Well, there will be more to come. Also, Korrasami... From when I first saw the show and the two together, I was like "... eh, I can see where they're coming from thinking these two could be paired." Now that's official, well, yayz.**

* * *

><p>The next morning, it had stopped raining as the sun partly came out, shining on the wet surfaces of the many buildings and Satomobiles around it. Overall, decent weather outside and looked to have been getting better as everyone walked or drove through the streets minding their own business, including the man simply known as Hattori.<p>

Still clad in the same clothes he had the night before, after cleaning them of course, he walked once more, muttering words to himself. The people close by would hear them and think he was talking about them. Thinking over his game plan for the day, he knew his original plans weren't going to work, not yet at least.

Then something caught his attention as he walked by it. It was a noodle shop, simple enough, but it was the head cook he noticed. Slinking over into the back alleys, keeping to the shadows, he saw through the side windows the man, a portly man of forty-seven cleaning up the kitchen for the later lunch rush.

Looking around, making sure no one was around, he nodded to himself.

"Well, aren't I the lucky one..." He said to which he then tilted his head, as if listening to something. "I know, right?" He smiled before as he made sure the coast was clear, he stepped into a shadow part of the alley and just vanished into it.

Inside, the head cook Botashi was wiping the counters where he and his cooks would prepare and cook their food, not noticing the lone glowing red eye watching him from the shadows above him, vibrating.

As Botashi began mopping the floor, a shadowy hand rose up from his own shadow and then another before a full figure came out before slowly vanishing, revealing Hattori in its place, about to grab the cook when...

"HEY BOSSMAN, got a delivery for ya'!" A voice rang, catching said bossman's attention as he turned around. He looked at the backdoor behind the man and saw no one behind him. It looked to be closed as Botashi sighed.

"It's open, come in!" He said putting down the mop as a Food Delivery Guy had in his arms two heavy boxes entered the kitchen.

"Two crates of imported Blubbered Seal meat straight from the North Pole." The Delivery Guy noted, placing it in the freezer before taking out a clipboard and a pen. "Please sign here and pay."

"Of course sonny..." Botashi said, neither him or the Delivery Guy noticed Hattori emerged in shadows in the ceiling vents, watching the two. "What's the damage?" He asked the Delivery Guy.

"About 235 Yuan Mr. Botashi."

"Righty oh..." The Cook said, taking out the right amount and four extra bills, giving it to him. "For all your hard trouble."

"Thanks man." The Delivery Guy said before giving his goodbye as did Botashi. When he left, Botashi looked at the clock. Almost twenty minutes till opening.

"Gotta finish-" He said to himself before stopping as when he reached to grab his mop... It wasn't were he put it. "What the heck?"

"Looking for something?"

Botashi froze in place, it couldn't be, he slowly turned before looking right into the single hazel eye of Hattori, who looked dead set back at him. "What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Suddenly Botashi grabbed a meat tenderizer from a nearby rack and swung it into Hattori's face, knocking him to the ground in the corner. "You conniving bastard..." The cook snarled as Hattori looked back at him, bruise on his cheek, expression not changing

"Oh, I'm the bastard?..." The one eyed man responded before the cook rushed towards him, only for Hattori to jump backwards into the corner, into the small shadow, vanishing. It pissed off Botashi even more.

"Son of a..." The Cook growled, looking around, he heard of something similar to what he just witnessed, didn't think it was true. "Come out of the shadows Hattori, let me finish what was started..." He said, anger clearly heard, hearing an odd slither behind him before swinging backwards.

But there was nothing behind him. "Hey..." Hattori's voice rang behind him again, making the angry cook turn around, seeing the familiar one eyed fellow. "Are you wondering where your mop is?" He asked, confusing Botashi.

That is till the handle end of the mop burst out from Botashi's own shadow and into the back of his knee, impaling itself into it, making him scream in pain as he dropped the hammer and tried grasping what was his knee, feeling blood and flesh burst from it more with every move he made.

Hattori watched his target, making sure he kept his eye on him. Though, even he groaned in his own head at that pun. "Sorry to keep you in place, figured we talk. I was in the neighborhood..." Hattori noted, gliding his hands along the counters, stove and sink. "Gotta say, nice joint you got here, good business I assume."

"Blow me, ya' friggin' zombie!" Botashi hissed in pain, trying to remove the mop without causing too much damage, which itself was hard to do.

"Zombie, no. Not a zombie, a zombie normally is some brainwashed slave, kinda like what the Dai Li used to do during the Hundred Year War." Hattori explained, moving his hand slightly as the shadows near the grill seemed to turn its dial, heating it up. "But no, I'm not a zombie..." He said before seeing the cook struggle. "Oh, let me help you with that... I'd hate to see you struggle with kneeling." He said before raising his hand up as a shadow tentacle burst from his own shadow, grabbed the handle and broke a bit off.

"AHHH!" Botashi screamed as he dropped to his good knee. "MY FUCKING LEG!"

"Ah, waiter, there's some blood in my soup..." Hattori darkly said, laughing a small bit. "I apologize for that bad joke, I really do..." He said before moving his hand once more, using the tentacles to drag Botashi to him, grabbing him by the neck. "But to the matter at hand, I heard the bitch is in town and set up her own little business. Seeing as you two are close, mind telling me more about it?"

Botashi answered... by spitting into Hattori's face, making the killer just sighed, eye closed as he used a shadow tentacle to wipe off the spit. "Well... I tried being nice..." He said to Botashi before stopping. "Yes, I call that being nice!" He said to himself, confusing the cook before suddenly bringing the side of his face close to the grill.

"Oh SPIRITS! STOP! STOP!" Botashi screamed as his skin so close to making contact with the hot steel as Hattori kept him close to it.

"Then tell me where the hell she is, oh and maybe where the others are?"

"I don't know where any of them are! I DON'T!"

"I'm calling bullshit..." Hattori growled, eye glowing red again, pushing Botashi's cheek slightly against the grill, making him scream in pain, burning it a little red, bringing it back up. "I'm fully fucking aware of you not knowing where the rest are..." Hattori hissed, anger clearly heard. "But Asuki knows and I know you know where she is, SO FUCKING TALK!"

"I-I-I DON'T KNOW!" Botashi cried out before Hattori viciously shoved the other side of his face into the grill, making the cook scream in agonizing pain. "AAHH! AAAHHHH! STOP! STOP! FUCKING STOP!"

"THEN FUCKING TALK YOU FAT FUCKING BASTARD OR THEY'LL BE SERVING GRILLED FATFUCK!"

"OKAY! OKAY!" Botashi yelled out before Hattori lifted his head off the grill, skinned melted off and bubbling before throwing him onto the counter. "Kyoshi bridge! FUCKING KYOSHI BRIDGE!" The burned man yelled. "It's a hidden brothel, a mile on the right of Kyoshi Bridge, you need to pay big bucks to even enter it, looks like an abandoned factory. Password at the door is "Blossom", YOU FUCKING HAPPY NOW?!" He cried out in pain.

"You positive? One hundred percent?" Hattori asked, holding him down just in case.

"ONE HUNDRED FUCKING PERCENT! JUST STOP!"

Hattori sighed, eye turning back to its hazel, looking up a bit. "Yeah, he's telling the truth... You ain't gonna fucking lie after being shoved into a grill!... Well, I sure wouldn't afterwards. That'd just be dumb..." He said, talking to himself as Botashi watched in confusion.

"Who the fuck are you talking to?" The Cook asked before suddenly the shadow tentacles grabbed him by the legs and arms and flipped him over onto his stomach, freaking him out, but before he could scream more, an apple was shoved into his mouth.

Hattori however gave a truly evil smile as his hand seemed to be engulfed in shadow, forming a shape like a blade. "Oh, just the voice inside my head... And he just gave me this great idea. It's called a Blood Dragon."

Ten minutes later, a costumer walked in to get some chicken-mouse beef and noodles for lunch when he noticed the "Closed" sign was covered in blood and the door was unlocked. Upon entering the establishment, he found that it was empty and his favorite cook wasn't around. He was about to leave when he realized the grill was on and a pool of blood was coming from the kitchen. Heading inside, the man had to vomit as the sight he witnessed was horrific.

On the grill was a burnt up Botashi, his back flayed apart, his back bones ripped apart with his lungs and entrails tied up onto the lights, his knee still impaled by the broken mop. Also noticeable was his neck was slit open and the apple in his mouth.

* * *

><p>Mako was in Chief Bei Fong's office going over the recent findings when another beat cop knocked and walked in.<p>

"Chief, we have another murder. I think it's related."

Lin slammed her fist down on the table, cursing loudly, "Are you fucking kidding me? Another?" She pinched her nose, attempting to calm herself, "Mako, go tend to this. I need to talk to President Raiko about what to do now. These are becoming too much and we're beginning to look bad that we don't have a suspect."

"Ah Chief," Mako spoke up, holding up a finger, "I was going to also ask you about resigning me to another case. This one is beginning to haunt me in my sleep."

"For spirits' sake. No fucking way am I moving you from this case." Lin started as her face grew red, "You are too deep into this. I need this fucker in a jail cell soon or we'll all be jobless! So suck it up Detective and do your job!"

"Yes Chief." Mako mumbled before he walked out.

"Wait..." Lin said, closing a book. "I'm coming down with you. The President can wait. Let's see if I can help get this damn case cover with..." She said, walking near Mako, looking at him. "And sorry about flipping out, it's not easy for me too."

"I understand Chief."

When they arrived at the restaurant, Lin almost wanted to resign right then and there. Maybe shouting at Mako was not the best thing she's done all day because the sight of the grill was just about enough to make her think about retiring.

"You say this guy is targeting former Equalists?" She finally asked Mako.

"Yes Chief." He noted, taking out a small notebook. "Recent autopsies from the first victim and the last one shown they both have similar tattoos..." He noted, before pointing at one fold of skin of Botashi's, right at a tattoo he had, one of an odd cog. "The same one he has, the Equalist symbol."

"What about the Triads?" Lin asked, curious.

"Maybe spur of the moment killings. Song, the witness from that one stated she remembered catching a glimpse of our guy in the bar she was in with the Triads. I don't think that was planned."

"Then I want to get the word out that non-benders need to be extra careful and anyone associated with the Equalists needs to be looked after. Make sure you tell Ms. Sato too..." She noted, making the young detective give her a curious look. "Just in case." She would glance back at the body before forcing her breakfast to stay down, "Someone find this bastard though."

* * *

><p>Asami stood on the staircase as her butler let in a few police officers. She stepped down slowly after they all walked in. She looked nervous and confused as to why they were in her mansion. A part of her thoughts went back to the conversation the night before.<p>

"Why are they here?" she finally asked.

"Ms. Sato, we're here to provide protection against the serial killer on the loose."

Asami clinched her fists, "I do not need protection. I am fully capable to protecting myself. Now, go back to your offices."

"But Ms. Sato, this wasn't our choice. You will have to bring it up with the Chief of Police and the President."

"But why am I actually having you goons, no offense, keeping an eye on me!"

"Because of your connection to your father." The one cop said, making the businesswoman stop in place. "Look, we'll admit, it's not something we planned, but it's just till this guy is caught. Once he is, we'll leave you be."

The businesswoman continued with her glaring look before shifting her gaze to her butler, "Please make sure they have a comfortable room then."

"Yes Ms. Sato."

"OH..." Asami remembered, looking at the cops. "Don't mind the oddly colored living room... The Avatar tried her hand at painting."

* * *

><p>"I tell you what, Bolin; with all of this serial killer talk going around town, I think it's time for a horror mover. Zhu Li sweetie..." Varrick said, looking at his wife. "It's time to idea storm, I'll get the peppers!"<p>

Minutes later, Varrick was upside-down and red in the face from eating a hot pepper. His body was sweating profusely. Zhu Li stood with a note pad. She adjusted her glasses before Varrick began to ramble. Bolin and Opal were both sitting on a sofa, leaning with utmost boredom.

"Alright, ready with the notepad..." He pressed his first fingers to his temples, "Monster, evil astronomer, pool stick, banana and peanut butter sandwich, bear."

"And a toy Satomobile" Zhu Li also noted, which Varrick repeated.

"Right, a toy Satomobile," Varrick then opened his eyes, "Why a toy Satomobile. That doesn't make any sense, Zhu Li!"

"So does the rest of what you just listed off." Zhu Li simply noted as she ate a pepper like it was nothing, "So, keep with the theme."

Varrick gives it some thought, "Good point."

"I know it is love..." Zhu Li said with a wide smile on her face which her husband returned the favor as both Bolin and Opal were still confused at this... well, lack of plot.

Opal glanced at the couple, unimpressed, over to Bolin, "And all of this will tie in how?"

By now, Varrick was on his feet again, "Okay so picture this: An astronomer spots a falling meteor in the sky. It hits outside of Republic City and he goes to find it. What does he find as he searches in the dark? A space monster! The astronomer then takes it home and tries to train it but lo and behold! It eats him and takes his form. Then the crazy space monster, now evil astronomer goes into the city with his trusty pool stick and begins to kill and eat his victims."

Bolin looked at him with a questioning look, "How do the bear, sandwich and toy Satomobile fit in all of this?"

"Well, for one," Varrick snaps his fingers, "All of this thinking is making me hungry and Ping-Ping is staring at me right now, and Zhu Li wants me to buy her new things."

"That's exactly why." Zhu Li said, rolling her eyes, but smiling and nodding.

"... How did I get to doing films for you again?" Bolin asked, regretting past choices.

"Right then, what else should we add?" Varrick asked, thinking it over, about to eat another pepper when Zhu Li slapped it out of his hands without even looking away from the note pad.

"A moron who's trying to make money off of people's misery only to be killed by the thing he's profiting off of?" Opal glared at the Mover maker.

Said glare from his girlfriend was scaring Bolin.

Varrick pondered it for a moment, "PERFECT! Zhu Li, let's add that in too."

"She just mocked you."

"Really?" Varrick noted, thinking it over. "Eh, not seeing it, add it in anyway."

"Of course dear..." Zhu Li, eyes rolling again as both Bolin and Opal groaned at this brainstorm session.

* * *

><p>Later that day, Asami herself had to leave the house as she had to check out progress on the propulsion engine her company was working on. But of course, the some police officer's had to escort her there, much to her dismay.<p>

Driving her Satomobile around the city, Asami saw some people in the streets talking among each other. She was not able to hear them due to driving past them, but she knew they were talking about the murderer haunting the streets.

But what had gotten to her was the fact was that the killer was after former Equalists. Seeing as said group was behind many attacks on benders all over the city, Asami could not help but not be surprised someone wanted them dead. But the methods used to take them out that Mako had told her about even they didn't deserve such violent ends.

But the main thing that concerned her more was that she could be target all due to her own father's past affiliation with the group, even if he severed all ties with the group. And she wasn't even part of the group herself but the thought still scared her. She did wish Korra did not have to leave, so she would be there to protect her... and she would not have to deal with the police either.

As Asami pulled up at her building's parking lot, she sighed. Maybe work would take her mind off of things she thought, exiting her Satomobile, purse in hand, as did the four officers who transported her there. "It's okay gentlemen, I can take it from here." The Businesswoman assured the cops.

"We still have to keep an eye on you Miss Sato." One young officer responded as Asami groaned.

"Even in the building I own?"

"Yes, Chief Bei Fong's orders."

"Right..." Asami said, not happy, walking up to him as the others watched. "Look, go tell your Chief I don't need protection. I can take care of-" She tried explaining before suddenly a ponytailed man ran past her and the cops, swiping her purse, to their surprise. "HEY!"

"GET BACK-" One cop yelled out before Asami herself ran past him, not happy as he, along with the other officers looked surprised. "... here?" He said in a low voice.

Though the thief had a good distance ahead of her, Asami wasn't going to let some punk steal her purse, no one steals from a Sato... Well, there was Varrick, but he made up for it.

Asami saw the thief run straight more before suddenly cutting into an alleyway, which she was too fast to turn into, so she had to stop herself quickly before rushing back towards and into the dark alleyway, but she didn't expect who she saw in it as it wasn't the thief.

In fact, it was Hattori, or 'The Equalist Butcher' as the papers were calling him. But Asami didn't know who he was at that moment. In fact, all she saw was a calm and assuring injured homeless man holding in his hand her purse, which he held towards her as he gave her a smile.

"I assume this belongs to you miss?"

Asami looked surprised but somewhat relived a bit, taking back her purse. "Ah, what happened? Where's the guy who swiped this from me?"

The man shrugged, pointing behind him at a fire escape. "He knocked into me and dropped your purse, then went and climbed up the first escape. He must have been scared of me."

"Well, thank you Mr..."

"Hanzo, Hattori Hanzo." The man responded with a bow.

"Okay, Hattori Hanzo, for getting this back for me..." Asami said giving him a smile, taking out some bills out of her purse and handing it to him. "Here, for getting my purse back." She said before Hattori gave the money back to her confusion.

"Nah, just doing a civil duty is enough of a reward for me, but thank you anyway..." Hattori said before something dawned in his mind as he snapped his fingers. "I know you somewhere, tip of my tongue..."

"Let me guess, you know me as the Avatar's main squeeze?"

"No, that's-... Wait, the Avatar's into dames?" Hattori stopped. This fact was new to him and he didn't see that coming before shaking it off. "No, not that, somewhere else- OH, that's right; you're Asami Sato, yes?"

"The one and only..." Asami nodded to which Hattori nodded, shaking her hand.

"Well, it's such an honor to-" Hattori began before stopping, looking up. "Yes she is, now shut up. Not now!"..." He said, looking back at her. "... Honor to meet you, your company has... done such good things to help out the city."

"Just doing a civil duty." Asami spoke as she was trying to hide how off she seemed as she watched Hattori talk to himself. She smiled back "I should be heading back, again, thank you for getting my purse back, wish I could have taught that thief a lesson." She said as she began walking out of the alley.

"Don't worry. I'm sure he'll get what's coming. Be safe!" Hattori yelled back, waiting till she was gone before looking back up. "Couldn't have waited till she was gone before talking? Oh, well excuse me for being a nice fucking person!... Not that easy, still gotta actually find him and Asuki knows... Pain in the ass... I KNOW YOU HEARD THAT!" Hattori yelled, hitting himself again, only just hurting himself. "AH! Gotta quit doing that..."

Then as if to break the mood, something fell hard from the shadows of the building Hattori was next to as he turned around. It was the thief that had took Asami's purse, or what was him. Now all he was is just a bunch of torn apart body parts. Hattori looked around knowing full well what would happen if someone caught him near it. He walked away, whistling and acting like he wasn't there.

* * *

><p>She was fast asleep on the bar when a brave train worker tried to wake her with a stick. He poked her shoulder once before taking cover. When she did not move, he tried again tapping her head with the stick. She budged a bit and covered her face causing her drink to fall off the counter.<p>

"Avatar Korra, the train has stopped. It's time to get off and greet Ambassador Wu."

She grumbled being half aware of what was happening now, "I don't wanna talk to him now. I have a town to plunder and pillage and pilgur..." she slurred.

The train worked looked confused as he turned to get help from the bartender. The portly man shrugged as he did not know what she was talking about.

"Drunk talk, I think. She's been hitting the bottle a bit since she got on, maybe even before."

"I'm not as think as you drunk I am."

The bartender let out a boastful laugh, "How about a warm ginger tea and a spicy stew to wake you up, Avatar?"

Korra lifted a pointed finger, "Yes please and maybe another round of that rice drink."

The train worker prolonged her exit from the train so she could eat without being disturbed. The escorts were slightly frustrated and impatient as they waited. Ambassador Wu was sure to mention something about them being late to present her to the President.

When she came down from the train car, she stretched and yawned as she greeted them. It was as if she had not been drinking the entire night and morning. She let out another yawn before greeting her escort.

"Let's make this meeting quick. I'm feeling a bit ill and I don't have my normal patience today."

They quickly led her into the palace. Servants and others with business in the palace gave her a quick bow. She tried to return them but ended up waving them away. When they finally passed the threshold of the old throne room, Ambassador Wu, who was visiting the palace on a mission of goodwill, jumped up and walked down to greet her with a hug. She held her hand out, pushing his face away so that he could not touch her.

"So, what's the problem with this gang of men?" she asked after giving him a polite bow.

"Straight to the point, like always." He chuckled, "Well, these bad men are harassing a town a bit east of here. I've sent some of my best men to fight and arrest them, but they were bested. Then they disappear. Some of my advisors think they are using ships to hide but we haven't found them yet."

"So, this doesn't sound like the stuff the Avatar has to deal with?" Korra deadpanned, trying to keep aware.

"Well, they happen to be some supporters of the former 'Great Uniter,' who you totally kicked her rear end last time!" Wu said, still a little weary when he mentioned who was behind it. He grabbed Korra's attention, "So, basically you go in, rough them up, have my boys put them in cells, everyone's happy, we kiss and hug, and then happy times!"

"We're not kissing... or hugging."

He then threw a finger close to her face. She stared at his finger with a glare.

"Now yet anyways."

Korra then grabbed it and bent it back. The guards in the room gasped as they were unsure of what to do.

"Oh, this is gonna be a long trip..." Korra muttered to herself as Wu squirmed around in pain before she let it go of his finger, "Let me freshen up a bit and I'll meet you for what more you had in mind."

She was soon led away to her room as she closed the doors... only to reopen them and throw out what seemed to be a bunch of flowers and a box of coco candy. She yelled something about Wu in anger and not wanting his gifts as she closed the door once more. She opened it the door again and grabbed the box of coco candy before closing it for good.

* * *

><p><strong>PipTook- Oh Wu. I love writing him. Him, Mako and Korra. Always good for a laugh, right? Anyways, he's an interesting character. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. We're a bit behind in editing but the next chapter should be out soon. Happy New Year's everyone!<strong>


	5. Chapter 4

**PipTook- Here's the next chapter. I hope you all are enjoying it.**

The sun just started to set in Republic City, turning the sky into a light orange mixing with the blue. The night goers of the city started coming out slowly one at a time as some went home. Not Vuong, who was still in her shop. While waiting for any costumers, she decided to listen to the radio as the newscaster was talking about The Equalist Butcher's most recent murder. While the voice on the radio didn't go into too much detail but he did mention the term 'Blood Dragon.' Just that alone sent shivers up the shopkeeper's mind.

"This guy must be a monster..." Vuong said to herself turning it to a music station before a bell rang as the front door opened. As she turned to look, unknowingly to her, the Equalist Butcher himself with a calm smile on his one-eyed face walked in.

"Oh, hello Hattori. Let me guess, newspaper?" She said actually happy to see the nice fellow she met the night before.

"Ah, yes please. Also, do you also sell those little pasties with the coco chips on the top?" Hattori asked as the Water Tribe woman nodded and went to grab some from a glass dish.

"Here you go." Vuong smiled, giving him one wrapped in parchment paper and the paper as he began taking out some bills. As he did, she noticed his katana in its sheath, which perked her interest.

"Hey, that katana..." She began, getting his surprised attention. "... looks familiar. Is that a Hanzo original?"

"What? Oh!" Hattori said, untying it and lying it down on the counter. He pulled it out a bit, showing its blade, hilt and handle. "Yes it is. How did you know?"

"My father is a collector of swords. He knows so much about them and to him, a Hanzo original is the crown jewel. Especially with how few were ever made and also in this good of condition..." Vuong talked on before seeing Hattori's reaction of surprise and meek confusion and giggled at it. "Sorry, kinda rubbed off onto me. So, how did you come into possession of one?"

"Oh, I'm a Hanzo myself. Hattori Hanzo... the Eighth." Hattori explained to her suprise. "My... Grandfather, Hattori Hanzo, the Seventh I mean..." Hattori laughed, having to correct himself. "... He made it for me as a present when I turned eighteen. He always knew how to craft one beautiful and deadly sword."

"Well, not lying there..." Vuong said, picking and holding up the sword by the handle. The hilt was gold with a red edge, the handle with crossed black and hold and the blade itself looking so sharp with a slight curve at the end. It had an engraved marking of the Fire Nation character for 'Hanzo.' It's sheath had a slight mirrored look to it, Vuong's face reflecting off of it. "My father would just die just seeing one."

"Well, maybe sometime I'll let him check it out and bump him off in the process" Hattori said, giving her the money for the paper and pastry as he laughed a small bit. "Oh, just a little joke." He assured as she gave him his katana and sheath back.

"Say, I know this is the second time we've met..." Vuong smiled as Hattori tried his weapon back on his waist belt. "... but if you're not..." She said, small blush on her face. "... doing anything tonight? Maybe you wouldn't mind having a drink with me at the nearby bar?"

"Actually..." Hattori noted, little embarrassment clearly seen on his face, that and some blushing. "I'm meeting up with an old friend tonight; catching up on old times..." He said ignoring the voice in his head telling him to just leave the shopkeeper, whose face dropped a bit. Even Hattori couldn't help but feel very bad. "But, I'm open for the rest of the week Vuong. Maybe tomorrow night, if that's alright?"

Said woman's face did perk up a small bit, smilin. "That'll do just fine Hattori. Well, better check the back stock. See ya' Mr. Hattori Hanzo the Eighth. Don't have too much fun tonight." She said as Hattori nodded and waved.

"No promises!" The one eyed man said walking out of the shop, biting into the pastry as thoughts of what will happen that night rang through his mind. "No promises in- SPIRITS, that's pretty tasty!" He said to himself, surprised at how much he enjoyed the pastry before tilting his head up. "Sorry, focusing... Just that it tastes great." He said to himself as he walked along the streets.

* * *

><p>He walked her through the quiet halls of Air Temple Island. Tenzin spoke softly as he asked his mother about her trip. She smiled.<p>

"It seemed longer than I remember. How are Pema and the children?"

"They're doing well, mother. We're just a bit worked up over this serial killer that is on the loose." Tenzin then opened a door, "Right in here, mother. Korra's room is next door, but she has not been around lately. I think she is in the Earth Kingdom right now. It should be quiet for you."

Meelo and Rohan suddenly ran by as Ikki shouted something about wanting her hair pins back. Tenzin covered his face and shook his head.

"It should be decently quiet, mother."

Katara chuckles softly, "It is alright, Tenzin. I'm sure they will behave for me."

With a quick bow of his head, he said his quick good-byes and left so she could settle into her room.

* * *

><p>"Just gonna ask; Equalist or spur of the moment killing?"<p>

"Looks like spur of the moment chief."

"Damn." Lin pinched her nose as she stood above Mako's desk.

They were looking over the photographs of the scene. Mako had made sure not to eat before working on the case. He patted himself on the back when he saw the pictures as it was a good choice. Mako was not going to identify this man. Or woman. He was still trying to determine that.

"So, I guess the killer has now turned from using his blade to... using his own bare hands to rip them apart?" Mako rested his head in a hand, "No one is that strong enough to rip apart bone and flesh like that, not even one who can... well, punch someone hard enough in the face to snap their neck. Maybe it was an animal?"

"No, remember the triad member with his chest ripped open? Same style used here, it's our killer alright." Lin groaned. "Whenever we think we got a lead on our guy, something goes and throws it out the window."

"Why? Why is this bastard doing this? What's the point?!"

Lin sighed before looking at the map, the murder site labeled, then got an thought, pointing to the map near where Future Industries was on it, "Are you sure it was a spur of the moment?"

Mako nodded, "I called Asami already. She said that she wasn't missing anyone from her company. Then she told me that she did have her purse stolen from her and ran... I'll call her again. She mentioned some name."

Lin studied the bags under his eyes before rolling her own and speaking, "Why don't you just go see her? You've been here long enough."

"Gotcha Chief." He said as he grabbed his hat and long coat.

As he walked out into the rain, the firebender tipped his hat up and stuffed his hands into his pockets. Mako did not drive his motorcycle because of the rain and had to take the trolleys to get to Asami's place. He did not mind this time. He was just too tired to drive anywhere. This case had done nothing but wear him down physically and emotionally. What was worse was that he was starting to see the same signs on Chief Bei Fong's face.

He knew she would not admit it, but Mako caught her even taking short naps during the day from staying at work late. A part of him feared that the Chief would want to retire after this case was over and it would be a damn shame too. He was really feeling her trust and faith in him.

* * *

><p>Mako jolted awake when the trolley speakers went off about reaching the industrial area of the city. The rain had lessened a bit as he hopped off of the moving car. He rushed out of the street and into the building. The older receptionist greeted him with a gap toothed smile. Mako leaned over her desk with a goofy grin of his own.<p>

"Looking pretty as ever Meng. Is Asami around?"

"She is having lunch with your brother and his girlfriend. They are such a charming couple." she then directed him to Asami's office.

Entering it, he saw Asami sitting with both Bolin and Opal, talking while having some noodles and beef. "Bo, Opal. Didn't expect you two here."

"Actually, same could be said about you." Asami said, a bit curious at his arrival.

"Me and Bolin were actually gonna visit you and Aunt Lin after this." Opal said giving Mako a hug.

"Yeah bro. So, what you come here for anyway?" Bolin asked, curious as Mako pointed at Asami.

"Actually, I needed to talk with Asami," Mako said looking at her. "About the purse thief found torn apart couple blocks from here."

"That so?" Asami said to which she got a nod from Mako. "Actually, I was planning to come along with these two. You caught me at the right moment."

"Wait, that guy who was ripped apart like a doll? That was your guy?" Bolin asked. He was a little scared as Mako nodded.

"He has some serious issues to do that kind of stuff." Opal said a bit scared of how the killer would be.

"Tell me about it Opal." Mako said, sighing. "You said something about a name of some guy you met?" He asked Asami who nodded.

"Yeah, think it was... Oh, Hattori Hanzo." Asami said, remembering the one eyed man she met in the alley where the thief had 'escaped,' "He was this vagrant looking man, an older one. He looked to have some deformities around the right eye and ear area. They were covered up in bandages."

"Deformities?" Mako asked a bit confused.

"Yeah, but when I talked to him, he seemed... Well, kinda, nice. Heck, he knew who I was."

"Well, everyone knows who you are." Bolin noted.

"Yeah, but still. It still felt a little weird. Oh, I think he might have some kind of mental problem."

"Mental, like he was crazy?" Mako asked to which Asami nodded. "How so? Like was he rambling? There was one hobo I talked to. He thought a mushroom was telling him to eat a metal chair... And was just one of the many messed up things he was saying."

"Well, not this guy Hattori..." Asami shook her head. "... He was crazy and he seemed to talk to himself, like someone else was with him. Maybe he has a split personality?"

"If so, this is maybe the best lead I've had this case yet." Mako smiled, thankful.

"You're welcome." Asami smiled, pointing to the food. "And you're welcome to some lunch. You look like you haven't eaten all day."

Mako gave a small goody smile. "How right you are and for good reason too." He said sitting down.

"Just don't hog it all." Opal said as she and Bolin also sat down next to the two.

* * *

><p>Over in the eastern coastal region of the former Earth Kingdom, Korra rode a Ba Sing Se police ostrich-horse along the shore, watching the waves. Her hand pulled at the green cloak around her shoulders as the air cooled from the ocean. She and a few policemen were looking for the thieves. They had been sighted around the area. Also apparent was that said supporters of the former Great Uniter had working some shady dealings with local pirates and thugs.<p>

"So, this is where they were seen last?" Korra asked the Lieutenant sent with her. He and his men were all on ostrich horses to guide her to the destination as she did not know the area.

"That is correct Avatar Korra." The Lieutenant, an older man maybe ten years older than her named Asano, said. He pointed to a nearby beach with a deep cave nearby it. "We are to believe inside that cave is their base of operations."

"Doesn't look like they're around.." The Avatar said, the wind blowing her hair slightly. She wondered, seeing that there were no Empire supporters, pirates or thugs around. "So, what action do you think we should take first?"

Suddenly the ground shook up a small bit, getting their attention when out of the ground, what looked like a spear burst from the ground under one officer's ostrich horse and impaled through it and the officer himself, killing him as the tip came out of his shoulder, keeping them in place,

"AMBUSH!" Lt. Asano yelled out as him, Korra and the other officers tried avoiding the metal spears which they realized was being bended out of the ground. "Look for any Earth Empire soldiers!" He yelled out, having a close call with one spear.

Korra looked around the area, which was hard for her as she and her ostrich horse had to also keep an eye for metalbenders' bending spears, then she saw one on a cliff near the water. "THERE!" She pointed out before waving her hands upwards to the side, making a strong water wave come up and slam into the metalbender. "Got him!"

Then suddenly a metal spear came out of the ground under her own ostrich horse, sticking through it, but just missing her face, making her fall on the ground. She then saw multiple spears burst towards her, so she made an air burst, flipping over the spear and hiding behind a giant rock. Korra tried peeking over it, looking to see where any others where. Then she saw a big ship and on deck were multiple metalbenders.

"There you are, Lieutentant!" She yelled out as Lt. Asano, along with some other officers who managed to hide without getting hurt. "How are your boys?"

"We got three injured and one dead. Other than that, we're feeling dandy!" Lt. Asano yelled back laughing. He stopped as Korra frowned. "Sorry, I tend to try and put humor into bad situations!" He tried assuring.

"Well, no offense sir, but it's pretty dickish and I find it offensive!" One of the injured with a huge gash on his leg yelled. He did not find it funny.

Then various boulders shot past them, smashing the sides of the rocks they were hiding against. "Oh, come on! Boulders and spears?!" Korra yelled out.

"We need a distraction!" Lt. Asano yelled out as he dodged a hand sized piece of broken rock that sped past him and at the one injured officer who had just yelled at him, hitting and destroying his lower jaw, making a burst of gore in the process and killing him.

"Fuck!" Another officer cried out as some blood splattered on him. He kept his head down to avoid dying next. Korra peeked around again, trying to think of a plan and then one came to mind.

"Lieutenant Asano!" Korra yelled over and got another peek of the supporters' ship. She saw it was nice and close. "Stay behind cover and help your guys out. I'll distract those idiots!" She said as they backed up as a huge spear smashed the ground between them. Lt. Asano was breathing hard but nodded.

"Sounds crazy, but it'll work! We'll come in to help when you need it. Just give us the word Avatar!"

"Right!" Korra said before throwing her hands to the ground and bending her way down into the rocky ground.

The Earth Empire supporters themselves were still using their bending to attack the policemen from their ship, but they were a bit confused at the green garbed woman who waterbended one of their soldiers away. When did Ba Sing Se recruit waterbenders?

"Who's that one woman? The waterbender?" The leader of the group, wearing the Earth Empire insignia proudly on the chest area of his armor, said as he stood at the bow of the ship.

"Don't know sir!" One soldier said after bending huge parts of the cliff off along with the others, ready to throw at the soldiers with enough force to kill them all. "I heard something about Ava... Ava..."

"Wait, Ava?" The leader said. The soldiers processed the name and her appearance with it soon ringing a bell before the full name came to mind. "Avatar..." he said to himself before fright came into his face, "That isn't some waterbender! That's the Avatar fight-" he yelled before they saw Korra burst from the ground on the shore before them. Her eyes set on them. Then her blue eyes flashed once.

To prove a point, Korra raised her hands and moved them in a half circle motion, causing a huge wave to collide with the ship and leaving it to crash to the side of the cliff. The ship crumbled, breaking into pieces. Many of the Earth Empire rebels not injured grunted hard in pain.

"Anyone who is loyal to our Great Uniter and able bodied, proceed on! For the Great Uniter!"

"For the Great Uniter!" They shouted climbing up the cliffs with intent for fighting for their misguided cause.

However, Korra saw them climbing up and sighed, "Oh, come on."

She got in position again as she began bending the waves and parts of the cliff, using them to knock some of the supporters off making them either fall into the water or onto the hard rock shore.

After some losses, some supporters, ten in total including their leader, had reached the top ready to fight to which Korra smirked and cracked her knuckles. "You boys sure you wanna fight me?"

"After you overthrew our Great Uniter," The leader spoke with hatred in his voice. "Consider this your punishment for your great injustice!" He said, waving his hand through his wet hair.

"Eghhh... Oh and she surrendered, you morons, on her own free will!" Korra groaned to herself before being ready to fight as some rebels came at her, bending the metal they had and whatever stone around them, but Korra was ready.

One soldier came at her, swinging down some metal to slash Korra, but Korra dodged it and created a wind gust sending him into the air and landing into another. He was about to bend up a boulder, knocking the metalbender off the cliff and the other to the ground. The Avatar stole a metal spear from an attacker and spun it around her before throwing it at another one. The man she just tripped was then encased in ice.

"Hey boss," one of the brigands started in a stutter as he looked down at his impaled friend, "I'm not dying now."

"Worthless! If the Great Uniter still ruled, she'd have your skull!" The leader said.

Korra crossed her arms and rolled her eyes at the leader.

"... Yeah, fuck that!" Another Earth Empire support yelled out as he dropped his weapon and kneeled down, surrendering as did the other soldiers to their leader's shock and anger.

"FOOLS! YOU'RE ALL FOOLS!" He yelled out, smacking one in the face. "You dare surrender without fighting?! What would the Great Uniter think?!"

"No offense, but I rather surrender than get my ass murdered by the Avatar!" Said smacked supporter pointed out.

"Good choice, bucko." Korra grinned.

"ARGH! FINE! I'll punish the Avatar myself, you pansy asses!" He shouted taking a spear in hand and charged towards Korra, who stood her ground. As he was about to strike, Korra grabbed the spear to his surprise and kicked him away, making him let go.

"I'm gonna be nice and give you this one chance; surrender..." She said throwing the spear into the air and blasted it into pieces with some firebending, watching it turn to ash. She then held a flame as she grabbed his collar. Her eyes flashed as she entered the Avatar State and stayed. "... or I won't be nice."

"Ah... alright..." The Leader said with a small voice. He kneeled down as she let go, seeming to surrender as Korra turned around, going out of her Avatar State.

"We're finished Lieutenant!" She said with a smirk on her face. She did not notice the brigand leader take out a small knife from his pocket and rushed towards her as he screamed, getting her attention as she turned...

Only to see the leader get a piece of rock lodged into his forehead, knocking him back to the ground dead and surprising Korra. She turned to see Lt. Asano smile, holding up one of the wounded officers and with one hand free raised.

"What? I said when you needed my help, just give the word."

"Haha..." Korra said giving a sort of friendly mock laugh. "Can you start tying up these thugs up while I tend to the wounded?" She said taking hold of one of the injured officer up as Lt. Asano walked over to the surrendering supporters with rope in hand.

"Wow, I can now brag about the Avatar touching me." The injured officer smiled as he blushed a small bit.

Korra grinned awkwardly as she brought some water towards her, "Let's just say that I healed you."

She soon walked to the other injured officers and began to heal them and the prisoners. After seeing some of the dead ones, she felt some regret for having to kill some of them but they did know what they were dealing with.

* * *

><p><strong>ADH- Oh, so what does Mr. Hanzo have planned for the night? Mako finally has a lead connecting to the swordsman, Korra finally got some action... and not that kind of action like with Asami (Oh yeah, went there) and Mako had lunch with Asami, Bolin and Opal, thrilling chapter! What's next? Well, stay tuned and please review. PipTook and I wanna see reviews!... Also, Meng the Receptionist, that's the same Meng from Book 1 of "ATLA"! "Floozy."<strong>

**PipTook- ...**


	6. Chapter 5

**PipTook-Here's the next one. It's a long one. I hope you enjoy it. **

* * *

><p>Finally night had just fallen in Republic City once more. Like all the other nights, many had decided to venture in the night life despite the rain while others went home. But unlike the other nights, lots of non-benders stayed home with their doors locked in fear of the Equalist Butcher and what he would do to them if he thought they were in anyway part of the infamous group.<p>

But what they didn't know was the Butcher was still among them but keeping to himself... and talking to himself more.

"Really, it's raining again? It was so sunny earlier..." Hattori muttered to himself as he looked up a small bit, "Well, it would be nice to go through one full day without rain... This isn't easy to wash."

As Hattori kept walking, unknown to the unfocused eye, his own shadow shook, or rather vibrated and no one noticed. "What, still on that? She's very nice and cute. Plus, a Water Tribe dame. Bonus for me..." He said before stopping in place, his look suddenly more... serious. "I KNOW... I know what they did... Still doesn't mean I can get a little sidetracked... They will die, all of them. That's why I'm here... NO, not gonna try hurting you and hurt myself again, I'm focused, just shut up and let me work." He said, almost in a hiss, closing his eye.

Waiting a bit, Hattori opened his eye, looking around, seeing some people staring at the odd man talking to himself. "WHAT ARE YOU ALL FUCKING LOOKING AT?!" He yelled, his eye turning briefly red, scaring those watching and making them walk off, leaving him be.

The oddest part was that when he yelled at him, his voice seemed off... it was still his own voice, but had... an odd echo... not belonging to him.

Hattori sighed shaking his head. He resumed walking more till he stopped a mile down past Kyoshi Bridge seeing the abandoned factory. "... Yep, might be... just gotta be sure..." He said going into an alleyway across the building watching in the shadows, waiting.

Thirty minutes came around and Hattori saw what looked like a fancy Satomobile pull up near the factory and a fancy dressed gentleman. His short hair was balding as he came out of it surrounded by two guards. He then knocked on a door, stopping and talking to whoever was behind it before the door opened and they entered.

"Yep, this is the place alright." Hattori said to himself not noticing the shape behind him.

"Hey!" The shape said making the swordsman turn around, whipping his sword out. He saw that he was a young hoodlum. Holding out a knife at Hattori, the man confused him very much. "Lower that sword and give me all your cash and I won't stab you man."

Hattori just looked at the thief, looked like one of those Triple Threat Triad dumbasses he dealt with day or so ago. "What the fuck are you doing kid?"

"Didn't you hear me? Give me your cash or I'll gut you." The hoodlum said as Hattori looked at him shaking his head and putting away his katana.

"Spirits, I don't got the time for this." was what Hattori said before suddenly socking the thug in the face, knocking him out. He knew that while this guy was a bad guy, even robbed and killed two rival gang members, Hattori wasn't in the mood to deal with some punk. He wasn't that dumb.

"Why? So I wouldn't make as much noise... My point exactly." Hattori said to himself heading to the factory and going up to the door with a sliding panel. He looked around and knocked on it resulting in the panel opening up, seeing a set of eyes.

"The heck? Get out of here ya' freaky looking hobo!" The owner of said eyes said.

"I want in." Hattori responded to which the person tilted his head.

"That so? What's the password?"

"The voice in my head says "Blossom"?"

"Lucky guess, but you clearly don't look like you got the Yuan to enter. Shit, you probably don't even have a piece for a quickie with a Polar Bear Dog."

Hattori just looked at the eyes, keeping his eye focused on them. "That so?" He said, reaching into his pocket and pulled out a huge wad of Yuan, holding up eye level, "What does five grand get me?"

Without another word, the panel slide closed. Then the door was heard unlocking before opened, showing the eyes belonged to a huge guard. "Anything you want, welcome to 'The Pleasure Factory'..." He said letting Hattori in and closing the door behind him.

"Hey!" He said making Hattori turn around. "Sorry buddy, but the katana stays here, no weapons allowed past here.

Hattori sighed but untied it and gave it to the guard. "That's special to me, like 'Prized Possession' special. Anything bad happens to it, it's your ass." He assured to which the guard nodded placing it next to him as the one-eyed man resumed walking in.

Hattori looked around the area. It was a Brothel, a nicely kept one. The exterior must be like it is to fool cops. Hattori was surprised those metalbending cops never found it as there was a lot of motion going on. He saw multiple beautiful women in skimpy clothes walk and sit down, all assisting various men and even some other women for a good time.

"I have to give Asuki this. At least she knows how to make things look nice..." He said to himself. "... Yeah... pretty sure some ain't here on their own free will too..." He noted seeing one woman, one in her thirties, in just her bra and panties prepared to do a round with a big customer. She looked like she had been in the game for a good long time.

Then Hattori saw a big metal door also with a sliding panel on it. She must be past that door. Before he could make a move a young woman came up to him, a Fire Nation girl with long dark brown hair done in a bun and topless with just a red thong on, smirking at him.

"Hey there, you're new. Looking for some company? I can make things..." She said before flicking her hand bending a small flame from her index finger. "... hot."

Hattori gave it some thought. "While I'm more into Water Tribe broads... I wouldn't mind a change of pace..." He said, giving a small smile, holding up the Yuan and pointing to a curtained booth near the metal door. "Shall we sweetie?"

"I'll lead the way..." The Fire Nation woman said leading Hattori to the booth. Both saw two women, one a high class woman in a suit and another one of the women of the building clad like a skimpy Kyoshi Warrior, making out. "Opps, sorry..."

"Oh no..." Hattori said taking out more cash and giving it to the two surprised women. "For the booth ladies, if you don't mind..." He said to which the two women smiled and nodded, thanking him as they left, leaving him and the Fire Nation girl alone.

"So, now that we're alone..." The Fire Nation girl said, closing the curtains and turning around, smiling as she began crawling to him. "I'm Karai." she said, about to kiss him, but Hattori put his hand in front of her face, stopping, not just to stop her, but something went through his mind quickly.

"Look, I'll be honest here... I don't wanna... buy your services..." Hattori said as she looked at him as he took out a hair stick out from her hair, making it fall down, making Karai even more confused at this action. "I just needed... Needed a cover-up."

"OH..." Karai said sitting down, wondering what to do on the table. "So... You wanna... sit and talk?"

Hattori couldn't help but snicker a bit as he pocketed the hair stick. "No, actually I'm here to talk to your boss." He said giving her some Yuan from his pocket, "First, stay here for a good while then get out of here. Move, I don't know, buy some new clothes, whatever. Just get out of here..." He said before going up to a shadowy corner and stepped into it, turning and giving a smirk. "OH and by the way, that offer about you making things hot, really was tempting." He said before suddenly sinking into the shadow surprising the hooker who dropped her cash at the sight.

In front of the door, it cast a shadow but none really paid attention to it. It was the same with not noticing a small shadow tentacle knocking on the metal door and then sinking back in as the door opened as a guard from the other side, wearing an odd leather mask with a zipper on the mouth, looked through the sliding panel. He then opened the door seeing no one but costumers and workers. "Huh..." He said. Behind him, a long hallway lead to another metal door closing the panel and the door.

"Friggin' jokesters..." He said before turning around, only for Hattori burst up from his shadow in front of him, covering the guard's mouth and shoving the hair stick up under his chin and into his mouth, making the guard choke on his own blood. The one-eyed man quickly brought him down as he struggled and gave muffled bloody gurgles for a good couple seconds before snapping his neck and dropping the body with a sigh.

"Nicely done indeed..." Hattori said to himself before seeing the door down the hall. It too had a metal sliding panel. "Oh, fuck me..." He muttered to himself before seeing the guard he just killed and then thought of an idea. "Well, gotta wing it again." He said forming the same shadowy blade over his hand like he did to Botashi and stabbed into the guard's neck.

A moment later, the next door was knocked and the sliding panel opened and the guard, not masked, looked into the eyes of who he thought was the masked guard. "Ichi, what's up? Need to talk to Madame Asuki" The Masked Guard's head nodded.

"Kay then, give me a sec." he said, closing it and began unlocking the locks to the door. "So, what's up with the silent game? You're usually don't shut up!" he said unlocking the last door and opened it.

But he then saw Hattori holding up the decapitated head of the Masked Guard where the slide was by the stump. "What the-" He tried saying before Hattori slammed the head into his face, knocking him down, keeping him down before slamming the decapitated head onto the other head multiple times till the unmasked guard stopped moving and breathing. Just in case, Hattori stomped down on his throat before seeing another door, this one not a metal one.

"Really, another door? Hattori groaned throwing the masked guard's head down onto the corpse. He walked up to the door, wiped his hair as he was covered in blood and brain matter, which he noticed. "Ew..." He said before knocking the door.

"What you want?" A guard's voice asked.

"Egh... Candy gram for Madame Asuki!" Hattori groaned to which the door opened and finally. There was his target, a woman five years younger than him but clad in an oddly colored kimono with white hair and lots of makeup on. This was Asuki and she was sitting at a desk surrounded by five guards, all with multiple types of blades in hand.

"Hold it..." Asuki said to her guards, seeing the familiar figure of her past but oddly not bothered at the fact he was covered in blood. In fact, it made her more interested. "Ah... Hattori Hanzo... Back from the dead, I see."

"You can say that." Hattori said eyes keeping watch of her, not caring about the guards.

"Where are Ichi and Wakka?" Asuki asked as Hattori moved to the side, showing her their bloody corpses.

"Giving each other head." He deadpanned turning back and walking up to her, pulling a chair and sitting in front of her. "Now, onto business. Where are they?"

Over near another area of the bar, near where Hattori and Karai had entered, one patron noticed the two enter.

* * *

><p>A big burly looking costumer, wearing a sleeveless white shirt, black pants and shoes, with long wavy black hair and muttonchops with various gang tattoos all over his arms and back gloves downed his drink, paid for it and lit up a cigar as he walked over to the phones, taking out some pieces and putting them in before turning the dials and waiting for the other person on the line to answer.<p>

"Hey there... Yeah, it's me, Rondo..." He said, looking to the closed curtain booth where he saw Hattori enter. "Yes dad, it's me, remember, your son? Just calling to tell ya' to remember to take your medication... Yes, the red pills." He said seeing another costumer, a smaller scrawny looking one waiting to use the phone. "Hang on you little peckerwood, talking to my father! SO fuck off!" He yelled, making the man go away.

"Sorry about that. Also, unrelated, but did you know I just saw some homeless guy come into the office?" He said, hearing the response and nodding, looking back at the booth.

"Yeah, hell, bandaged up around eyes, fucking weird... Well, just providing the update, you should come over, maybe soon? Cool, I'll be waiting, see ya' dad, bye..." He said before hanging up and taking a seat in front of one of the girl's of the building dancing on a pole, waiting, making sure he got the spot across from Hattori's booth.

* * *

><p>"Bye..." Lin said, hanging up the phone she had been using in her office and coming out of it, looking at some cops. "Alright all of you, we just got word from Officer Esh that Hattori Hanzo has been spotted near Kyoshi Bridge!"<p>

"Isn't Esh undercover there? Trying to bust up that 'Pleasure Factory?'" One cop asked.

"Yes he is even though he called me directly here like an idiot... Still, Hanzo is our only suspect in this serial killer case and we need to bring him in for questioning. By what Esh said, he's going be there for a good long time, so that gives us time to head over there..." Lin said. "Toshi, Jarek!" She yelled and pointed at two cops, seeing two of them, the typical 'older fat short cop and younger tall skinny cop' combo, who looked at her. "You two are to go over there and keep watch of the building, when you see him leave the brothel, cuff him and bring him in. But be careful, if he is our guy and you don't get the drop on him, he will retaliate without mercy."

"Yes Chief!" Both cops said going to leave as Lin looked at the other cops.

"In case they call for backup, everyone else be ready!" She said as the others nodded as she sighed, going back into her desk and sighing before looking up at Mako along with Asami, Bolin and Opal who was sitting with her when the call came. "Sounds like we might have our guy. Good idea to put the word about Hanzo, Mako." She said giving him a faint smile.

"Welcome Chief..." Mako said nodding. "... but we still need to prove it's him that did it." He noted.

"You know, there was something off about him..." Asami said. "... when we talked, he was very nice and kind but... the way he was acting just seemed wrong, like it wasn't the real him."

"Well, guess we'll see the real him when Officers Toshi and Jarek bring him in." Lin noted. "Personally, just happy we got a real lead on this case."

"You sure those two can handle this Hattori fella?" Bolin noted. "Those two don't look like they would be able to handle even a wild streaker in the park."

"And there's a thought in my head that's scary." Opal noted.

"Sorry honey, picture it's me-"

"That's enough Bolin..." Lin interrupted the earthbender, not wanting that visual in her head. "But you got a point..." She said looking at Mako. "Mako, head on over there too, just in case those two need the help."

"Alright Chief." The detective said before Asami stopped him.

"Be careful..." She said not wanting one of her friends hurt, as did his brother and Opal. Then he looked at Lin.

"... What? Are you expecting me to say the same thing and waste time in the process? Move it!" The Chief ordered making him move before shaking her head. "So... How is your mother?" She asked Opal, needing just a small change of topic.

* * *

><p>"Who might you be talking about?" Asuki asked, watching Hattori with curiosity ringing in her mind. "Better question is how are you still alive?"<p>

"Well, they never did find my body." Hattori noted, his eye on her and looking at her guards. "So... Kinda explains a lot."

"You got a point. I must say, it is good to see you again."

"I'm calling bullshit on that, ya' makeup covered bitch."

"Oh Hattori, manners. Talking to a lady, must you be so vulgar? Oh, would you like something to drink?" Asuki offered raising her hand as a guard poured the two some water in glasses.

"So says the former Equalist now running a whore house..." Hattori said before pausing. "... And yes please."

"Good, here you go..." The former Equalist member said handing Hattori her glass, not a sense of fear shown. That's something he had to give to her; she was hard to frighten. "So, I assume you're not only here to kill me but also get some info on the others you haven't found yet, correct?"

"You always were a smart one." Hattori deadpanned sipping his glass, keeping his eyes on the guards.

"Oh, you flatter me too much." Asuki said standing up and walking up to a bookcase. "Well, luckily for you, I do keep information on them..." She said snapping her fingers to which one guard, a huge one with a scar on his bald head, handed Hattori four folders to which Hattori looked at opening and seeing their contents.

"Why would you give me all this?" The one-eyed man asked as he read each file before seeing one folder seemed not to have as much info as the others. "And why is his folder not as full?"

"Well, it seemed your ol' pal had vanished without a trace." Asuki said watching the man read on. "Not even my contacts within the police force could find him; I assume he's dead, but that's just me talking."

Hattori nodded, eye keen into what he was reading. "Well, luckily for me, I know just how to locate him. It shouldn't be that hard." He stopped to looking at her. "It does help. But again, why would you give me all this info? You're fully aware of why I'm even here in the first place, right?" He asked to which Asuki gave a laugh, confusing the swordsman.

"I know and I that's why I gave you the files. In return, you'll spare me." Was her answer before finishing her glass of water. "Oh, you think I would wanna end up like the others? Ripped apart, or being sliced up. Heck, what you did to Botashi; a Blood Dragon? I didn't think you were that evil."

"What can I say? The voice in my head gave me the idea." Hattori shrugged.

Asuki tilted her head; he must have gotten some brain damage in the process. "That right?"

"That right." Hattori repeated before his face turned serious. "But so you know..." Hattori said looking into her eyes as his own eye glowed red once more. "... regardless if you gave me what I wanted or not, I'm still gonna kill you."

Even known in her mind, Asuki was unnerved at the sight of Hattori's eye changing color, as were some of the guards. She put on her best face and shook her head. "Well, I don't wanna be that woman, but..." She said giving a wave of her hand.

That confused Hattori before one guard moved behind him, metal wire in hand and put it around his neck, leaning back, making the one-eyed swordsman's eye go wide as he felt the wire going hard into his neck, starting to cut off the air as he tried gripping it off.

"Yeah, that..." Asuki said grabbing a coat as the big scarred guard opened the door for her. "Well, better run, good seeing you again Hattori..." She said, grabbing an umbrella. "... For good." She said as both her and the guard left the room, closing it as Hattori struggled more and more.

"After we kill him, dispose of his body in the river. The same with Ichi and Wakka's!" The one guard choking him commanded, still going with the choking.

As Hattori's vision started to blacken, a thought came to mind, and then the voice in his head rang more and more, as if telling him to not die. It seemed to have perked him back up as Hattori let go of the wire with one hand and waved it down, causing a shadow tentacle to burst from under Asuki's desk and burst through the guard choking him's chest, impaling and killing him.

Doing so made the three other guards jump back in shock and surprise as Hattori fell to the ground, holding his neck which hurt as he coughed, throwing the wire to the side before waving his hand down and making the tentacle go away, making the corpse drop.

"FUCK! What is that?" One guard asked, surprised at this.

"He's controlling, shit, BENDING THE SHADOWS!" Another one yelled, scared at this.

"Who cares? Kill him or Madame Asuki will have our asses!" The third guard yelled back, coming at Hattori with a butterfly knife and slashed at him, making the swordsman jump back over the desk, grabbing his glass of water before putting his hands out, making a huge shadow wave burst from under the desk.

Doing so resulted in the desk crashing into the guard against the wall, breaking his back and making him scream in pain.

"Ka!" One guard yelled checking on him as the other tried rushing him too, only for Hattori to break the glass over his head, busting his head open before taking what broken glass remained in his hand and slashed sideways, slitting his throat open.

As both Asuki and her guard was about to open the second door they heard the crash against the wall and turned around.

"Madame?" The guard asked, wondering if he should help the others.

"No, he's distracted at the moment. Let's get to the car." The Madame said, seeing the corpses in the hall before shaking her head as she went through the door. "Giving each other head. That's actually funny..."

As the guard tending to the one with the broken back saw Hattori kill the other, he grabbed the butterfly knife of Ka's and then took out his own, coming towards Hattori behind his back and brought down of the knifes onto Hattori, who turned around.

But Hattori, who had brought his hand up to block it, ended up with the knife sticking through his hand, making him scream in pain. He stomped the ground, making two tentacles burst from the guard's shadow behind him and grab his hands, making the guard scream and drop the other knife.

The last thing he saw was Hattori throwing his fist right into his face before said fist crashed against the skull, caving it in and leaving a giant bloody fleshy imprint in the head as the tentacles dropped down the corpse. Hattori then saw the last guard with the broken back try to get up with the door turn and look at him frightened.

"I'll let you go through first..." Hattori grinned with a wicked smile plastered onto his face as his eye glowed red once more, running to the screaming guard.

Before Asuki could have the scarred guard open the last metal door, a loud crash against the first door was heard before the second door behind them broke off its hinges and onto the ground, making the two jump as they turned and saw the guard's broken body, part of his spine broken and bursting out his back, staining the two doors he laid on in blood.

Then Asuki looked up in fright seeing Hattori come through the first door with an evil glare in his eyes as he ripped out the knife in his hand and threw it on the ground. "Hattori..." She said with a horror tinged small voice before the scarred guard stepped in front of her. "Urlok?"

"Go Madame... He won't get past me." He said ready to fight for his boss before he ran towards Hattori, who did the same, grappling each other in the hallway.

Asuki watched the two struggled and slammed each other against the walls before thanking the guard as she opened the door and ran out of it, running past some surprised clients and workers, before a hand grabbed hers, turning to see it was Esh, who stood up, interested. "Hey..." He said, bringing her near the entrance, but not near the front door. "What's going on here, why are you running?" He asked, but before she pointed behind him showing though the opened door, seeing Hattori and the guard fight. "What the-" He said surprised to see Hattori there.

"Stay here!" He ordered, hiding Asuki in a booth, closing the curtains as he ran over to where he thought the swordsman was and moved the curtains to see only Karai, trying to hide as she heard the noise. "Hey! Weren't you with that one-eyed guy?"

Karai looked surprised, but nodded. "He... Told me to stay here for a while before... walking in the shadows and... sinking into them!" She cried out, scared as she hugged the undercover cop.

Now Esh was confused before suddenly both Hattori and Urlok burst out into the main room, scaring the costumers and the workers as they scattered and tried to escape.

As both fought, Urlok took out a hatchet from his coat and tried swinging it at Hattori, who dodged out of the way the multiple swings before grabbing it.

"Alright you big bastard, DIE!" Hattori roared slamming the weapon into Urlok's stomach with both hands, but he looked up and saw Urlok shake his head, angry.

"ARGH!" The scarred guard yelled, grabbing Hattori by the neck, starting to choke him as Hattori punched him back, but it actually hurt his hands doing so. "You die!"

Jiggling the hatchet out of the wound, Hattori swung again, this time at Urlok's forehead, wedging the weapon into it, releasing the grip. He was left breathing hard as he looked up but the guard was still standing.

"Oh, FUCK THIS..." Hattori groaned in a raspy voice in disbelief before grabbing the handle of the hatchet and ripped it out, ready to swing it into the guard's forehead again... before he saw Urlok's eyes roll up before falling backwards onto a glass table, breaking it in the process as many screamed more at the sight.

But one scream got his attention as he noticed Asuki come out from behind some curtains and head towards the exit, pissing him off as he threw the hatchet to the ground. "YOU GET OVER HERE YOU FUCKING CU-" He tried yelling as he tried bending the shadows, only for his wrist to be hit hard by a burst of water to the ground.

"FREEZE YOU CRAZY BASTARD!" Hattori heard a voice say, turning to see Esh standing over him, clutching his hand, making the water freeze around Hattori, and keeping him in place. "Republic City Police, YOU'RE UNDER ARREST!"

"No..." Hattori hissed, eye glowing red as he saw Asuki getting away. "NO!" He roared with the odd echo in his voice once more, tilting his head, making what looked like shadowy hands burst from some object's shadows, resulting in them smashing down on the ice, freeing him and freaking out everyone who saw it, including Esh.

"No way!" Esh tried yelling, splashing Hattori with water as the one-eyed man came at him, no selling the splashes before grabbing his hands, crossing them before kneeing him in the stomach and throwing him against the shelf full of bottles of alcohol behind the bar, turning and seeing others in his way.

May have been the strikes to the head he gotten from Urlok or maybe just how his mind worked, he forgot, but Hattori was seeing two colors, blood red and calm blue, as he made his way through the crowd, angry as he could ever be.

Those who were odd blue, he punched, kicked and slammed enough to hurt them badly. But those who were blood red suffered more as he viciously killed them without remorse, snapped necks, breaking their skulls open, slashing them with the shadow tentacles, just for getting in his way of his goal.

He even encountered the one balding man who he had seen enter the brothel before him. But he too was colored blood red as he looked in fright, resulting in Hattori grabbing him by the sides of his head, plunging his thumbs into his eyes, gouging them out as he screamed before snapping his neck.

But before Hattori could exit the building, he saw the door guard, backed up in a corner. So Hattori walked up to said guard and reached out his hand, making him scream, trying to guard himself with his arms over his head. But nothing happened as the door guard opened his eyes and saw that Hattori was taking his Katana back, simply nodding to the guard, as if silently thanking him for keeping the weapon safe and walked off.

Coming out of the building, Hattori watched as many ran or drove off, breathing hard. "Where the FUCK is she?!" He growled. "I am looking for her!" He said to himself before seeing Asuki try to hotwire a Satomobile without being noticed, but without luck.

"Come on, come on..." The Madame said to herself in a small tone, trying to escape before she heard the engine rumble, making her smile. "YES!" She said... before a shadow tentacle burst from the side window, grabbing her by the throat and ripped her out of the broken window, smashing her against a nearby dumpster.

Asuki, now bleeding and cut up from being ripped out groaned before seeing Hattori walk slowly to her, the shadow tentacle slinking back to him as it looked like many more formed from his shadow, taking out his katana to use. "Hattori... Hattori, please..."

"Please? Please? Oh, doesn't THAT sound familiar?" The one-eyed man hissed, bending one tentacle out at her, but it just missed, hitting the dumpster. "I do reckon I said that to you before, does it ring a bell?"

"I'm-I'm sorry..." Asuki cried, before trying to throw a hidden knife she had in her kimono at him, but he held up his hand, blocking with a wave of shadows as he shook her head. "Look, look, it wasn't my fault."

"Oh, not your fault?! NOT YOUR FUCKING FAULT?!" Hattori yelled, the echo in his voice getting louder. "YOU WERE PART OF IT! ALL OF IT!"

"IT'S NOT MY FAULT YOU TRIED TO PROTECT THAT EARTHBENDING WHORE!" The Madame yelled before covering her mouth quickly, shocked she just said that as it just came out as Hattori looked at her in silence, red eye wide as it could be.

What was even more frightening was that the shadows vibrated around her as the shadow tentacle slinked back to his as he put his katana away. It was then Asuki realized he wasn't gonna just kill her like the others, he was gonna make her suffer with his bare hands.

"No, no, Hattori..." The former Equalist muttered as he got closer. "I-I didn't mean to call her-" But she never managed to finish what she wanted to say as he grabbed her by the head. "AHH!"

Just at the moment, a police Satomobile pulled up in the parking lot and out came both Toshi and Jarek as they both looked in silence before they could even tell Hattori to freeze on the count of them witnessed as Hattori had one arm around Asuki's neck as he viciously grabbed and slowly pulled the upper half of Asuki's face off as she gave a bloodcurdling scream as he pulled and ripped it all the way to the back of her neck as the screams finally died out as did see.

Both cops looked in absolute terror at the sight before the killer looked up at the both of them. "Oh, SHIT!" Toshi yelled trying to run off, only to suddenly run into Hattori, which made the cop scream as did Jarek, who instantly bending some fire from the palm of his hand.

"Don't hurt him!" Jarek yelled out as Hattori looked at the young cop before looking at the fat one in his hands, looking into his eyes with his one, seeing red.

"Why?... He's dirty, got paid by the dead whore to turn the other way..." Hattori said to which Toshi looked shocked as did Jarek, who turned to his partner.

"He's fucking lying!" Toshi cried out, sweating like a pig as Hattori laughed.

"Oh, guess he managed to hide it well enough even from your Chief..." He said before dropping Toshi onto the ground on his back before dropping down his foot onto his face, smashing it in.

"NO!" Jarek yelled, throwing some fire at Hattori who seemed to have sinked into the ground, making the young cop confused as he rushed over, but Hattori wasn't there, just his partner on the ground. The young cop checked his partners' pulse, none. "Oh spirits..." He said to himself, opening up the Satomobile door and grabbing the radio. "All units, all fucking units; we have an officer down, I repeat, officer down. Shit, many people down by a shadowbender on the loose, A SHADOWBEND-AAHHH!" He reported hoping to get a response before he screamed. He was then pulled out by Hattori who pushed him down, his shoe on the cop's throat, looking down at him.

But as Hattori did, he noticed something off... This cop didn't look blood red to him, but calm blue. "... Looks like someone's a good cop..." He said getting his foot off before punching him, but not enough to kill him, more to knock him out.

Hattori sighed, giving a dark chuckle. "OH... That was a lot killed, yes?... Actually, didn't expect to kill all those others, but hey, they got in my way..." he smirked seeing those he killed inside. "Trust me, they deserved it..." He said before turning, only to be almost hit by a shot of lightning. "WOAH!"

He turned and saw a younger cop on a motorcycle that had his two fingers out. "Hattori Hanzo! I'm gonna have to ask you get on your knees and put your hands on the back of the head..." Mako said as his fingers aimed at him as he got closer and closer to Hattori. "... As you are under arrest."

Hattori gave it some thought, looking at the detective. "Nah, I'm good..." he said suddenly before punching Mako in the face, knocking him back before jumping down into a nearby shadow of a corpse and vanishing before jumping out of another one far away as Mako grunted before proceeding to chase him on the motorcycle on the streets.

Hattori kept going moving from shadow to shadow, smirking before turning and seeing the firebender still on his trail. "Oh, a persistent one... I know, right?!" he said to himself before jumping in one shadow in a alleyway and staying in it, watching as Mako stop near it. The firebender missed his cornering as he looked around before moving on to another alleyway.

"Ha..." Hattori said to himself as he came out of it. "Dumbass..." He then proceeded to turn around only to walk face first into a hard piece of metal, knocking him back onto the ground. As he felt himself about to be mentally knocked out, he caught sight of who was behind the metal as she bended it.

"As the detective said, you're under arrest." Lin said with a stern look on her face as Hattori gave her a dazed outlook.

"... Hey-hey... sister... no fair..." Hattori slurred before passing out as Mako came back seeing the Equalist Butcher out.

* * *

><p>Tenzin was meditating in his room. The children were out with Pema and his mother was currently making dinner for them all for when they came back.<p>

Everything was silent and that's how he liked it... Well, Katara had the radio was on as she cooked but it was calm relaxing music, so he didn't mind it at all.

"- This just in, the serial killer known as 'The Equalist Butcher,' has just been arrested!" A news reporter interrupted the music to Tenzin's mild irk as his focus was knocked away as he sighed. "Reports are saying the killer, indentified as Hattori Hanzo the Eighth, was witnessed to have killed over twenty people in an underground brothel, including Officer Toshi Kong, presidential hopeful Sai Bato and its owner and former Equalist Asuki Lai-Zong. Witnesses from various people on the scene, including multiple Republic City officers on the scene however state that Hanzo seemed have been controlling the shadows around him, or 'Shadowbending' as one officer-"

"Shadowbending?" Tenzin thought to himself, dismissing it as a myth before suddenly some plates and the radio were heard dropping were heard from the Kitchen. "Mother!" He responded, the sounds surprising him as he got up and ran to the kitchen where Katara was, near the sink, eyes wide in horror and shock as she had just caught herself on the counter. "Mother, what's wrong?!"

"No... No!" The Waterbending master cried out before falling to the floor, scaring her son.

"Mother! Calm down! Calm down! What's wrong?" Tenzin said, holding on her as she cried and struggled. "What's gotten into you?!"

"NO! NO! Not again! NOT AGAIN!" She cried out before passing out, which Tenzin looked frightened himself.

"NO! MOTHER!"


	7. Chapter 6

**PipTook- Thanks for all of the followings and favs for this story.  
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><p>It had been a long trip back to the palace. The Avatar and the policemen looked exhausted and dirty from their fighting. The prisoners looked worse off. While Korra did heal their wounds, she had to argue with the lieutenant the entire time so it was not her best she had ever done. Korra dragged her feet all the way to her guest room. Her green cloak was also dragged behind her. When she opened the door, she did not bother with taking her boots off and just collapsed onto the bed. She hugged the soft pillow, squeezing it tightly. It smelled like cherry blossoms.<p>

"I might just have to take you home with me, pillow." She breathed in deeply. She did not care that there was a streak of mud on it from her trip.

"You can take all of it if you want."

Korra's eyes shot open in the dark. She flipped herself to face the door and Wu was standing in the doorway. She then looked completely annoyed and angry at the same time.

"I know that this used to be your palace and all," she spoke with a bit of venom in her voice, "but if you do not leave my room right now, I will break your fingers."

"...Your message is well received." Wu said, leaving the room, but then poked his head back in. "But if you change your mind-"

"Leave!" Korra yelled.

"Message also received." Wu replied shutting the door softly.

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><p>In the morning, she managed to get some time in the spa. Her sore muscles were soaked in warm water and if it were not for the fact that the person who was rubbing her back and legs free from pain was not Asami, Korra would have kissed her. That was what she expected a massage to be and she decided that she needed to teach Mako how it is really done because she had melted onto the table and did not want to move.<p>

The needles in her back also released from stress from her. It felt good to indulge for once. She was so relaxed that she did not hear Wu come in. His face appeared before hers as she was still on the table. Only a towel covered her rear.

"Feeling good? I absolutely love those." He said grinning.

Korra's eyes shot open once again within a day and she gave him a glare. What was worse was that she could not move lest she wanted to chase him out completely naked and she knew that was what he wanted to see.

"I would appreciate it if you left." She said as calm as her interior feelings allowed her to be.

"Well, I just wanted to thank you for helping the Earth Nations with the thug problem."

"Can this wait? I'm kinda stuck on this table and the only thing keeping me from chasing you out is that I have nothing on but a towel." She mumbled through the face rest.

She watched out of the side of her eyes as Wu moved from under the table. She could then see him walk around her, which angered her further. The woman who was aiding Korra with her spa day stepped back nervously.

"Wu, if you don't leave right now," Korra spoke again and with more aggression in her voice, "I will pull out all of these needles and make sure they imbed you in certain areas that men consider very sacred!"

Wu then realized what she meant and held onto said area. "Oh, feisty but scary. Alright, I will see you for dinner, bye!" He said in fear as he left both Korra and the woman alone.

"Were you really going do that to him?" The woman asked a bit scared.

"I'm still too relaxed at the moment... now if he had continued..." Korra responded with a smug smirk, which the woman returned with one of her own.

"It's nice to see him put in his place sometimes... but you didn't hear me say that sweetie."

Korra chuckled, "Can you rub out my shoulders again?"

"Of course Avatar Korra."

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><p>Hours later, she met up with Wu for dinner. Surprisingly, they were not alone at the table. Some of the ministers and the President came as well. Korra picked at her meal as they spoke of other issues that the Earth Nations were having. The President would give them answers, some of them logical and intelligent, and some were typical of him. Suddenly a servant walked in and whispered into the Wu's ear. Wu nodded before speaking up.<p>

"Avatar Korra, you have an urgent phone call. It's Detective Mako from Republic City. You best not let him wait for too long. Such a good guy, he is."

Korra pushed back her seat, "Did he say what for?"

The servant shook his head before leading her to the phone. She picked the receiver up.

"Mako, are you still there?"

"Korra?" she heard on the other end, "You need to come back as soon as possible. We have the serial killer but he's not exactly human."

There was a pause.

"Well, he is... well, human." Mako corrected himself. "But he's something else. The way he bended-"

"So he's a bender. Big whoop. It's nothing I haven't handled before. So what is he, a firebender, earth, water, air? What makes this guy special besides slicing and dicing people?" Korra asked listing off as if she was not bothered.

"None of those..." Mako said. Those three words surprised Korra. "He looked like he bended the shadows around him."

That left Korra confused, trying to process it. "Bending shadows? Is shadowbending even a thing?"

"You're the Avatar. How should I know? I just saw what I saw. It looked like he was moving shadows around just by moving his hands and jumping in them."

Korra then rubbed her face, "Are you alright?"

"Just a black eye from fighting him. Other than that, I'm swell."

"Thank the spirits for that..." she said in a softer tone before another beat."I'm glad you're okay, really."

"Thanks Korra. The reason I called is that Lin and the President need your help with this on the count of this guy not being the normal kind of killer. He's killed a lot of people. The total is already in the double digits. He's even killed a cop, let alone injuring many others."

"I'll be home shortly then whether it's by airship or train. Just don't provoke him until I get there."

After saying good-bye, Korra rushed to her room to gather her small list of items. She really did not even bother to announce her leaving to anyone in charge. She grabbed the first servant she saw and asked if he knew when the next train and airship would leave. When that did not help, she ran to the train station. Luckily, the next train was leaving soon.

To her like, the bartender and train worker from before were also on the train. She ordered a bowl of the soup she had before.

"Rice wine, Avatar Korra?"

"Not this time, friend." She sighed as she leaned on the counter, "Something big is going to happen. I can feel it."

The man nodded and left her alone to eat.

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><p>Mako and Lin met her at the train station. They had just received word about her arrival and were glad that she would be with them as they questioned the Equalist Butcher. As soon as Korra left the train she gave Mako a hug before gently touching his black eye.<p>

"You weren't lying about it." She teased, "After this, I'll heal it some for you."

"At least make it so I can see out of it." Mako laughed as his hands went back into his jacket's pockets, "I still need to show Bolin."

Korra chuckled as she let Mako and Lin lead her to their Satomobile. Once they were all seated, Lin started to explain the rush of her needing to return and what the man was like. Mako tried to describe what the man's powers were as he had seen them.

"It was scary." Mako said from the backseat, "It was like having flashbacks to Harmonic Convergence and all of the dark spirits, except I didn't know the man."

"So he uses shadows to move around and to attack?" the Avatar asked with a hand to her chin. Her eyes were closed as she processed the information, "How did you both finally catch him?"

"I hit him when he was not expecting it." Lin answered in a single, firm tone.

"I know you both are in a hurry to have me find out what he is," Korra started. Her eyebrows rose as she spoke, "But can I have a day? I just took a long trip from Ba Sing Se."

Lin grumbled, "We don't really have the time, Korra. He's still a threat."

"Then give me two hours to shower and change. Just drop me off at Asami's office and then we can go to the station. She has a shower there and we're not far off."

"Fine." Lin said in frustration, "But make it quick. I don't want to have to pull you off of your girlfriend."

"Hey." The Avatar responded with a harsher tone.

The Chief of Police made a turn to change their direction.

"Korra..." Lin said giving her a softer look. "That wasn't a knock on your relationship with her. I'm already past the strange feeling phase it's given me. It's just that this case has seriously taken a real toll on everyone involved on the case. We're tired and stressed. We'd love to get this guy put in a hole and leave him there forever."

Mako added to Chief's comments, "It hasn't just been Chief and I dealing with long nights too. The entire city is getting fed up and scared. This 'shadowbending,' or whatever you want to call it, is scary."

"I understand." Korra said with a nod, "I won't take long."

Lin parked out front of the Future Industries building. After Korra jumped out, she rubbed her face and put the radio on. The Chief of Police then rubbed her temples.

"Are you alright, Chief?" Mako asked.

"I'm just getting too old for these kinds of cases."

"Hey..." Mako said calmly. "I've worked with you for years. You're not one to be beaten down, especially from cases like this Chief."

Lin let out an annoyed growl, "I'm not beaten down. I'm just getting old."

* * *

><p>Korra rushed past the front desk, giving Meng a quick greeting. She continued to the elevator and rushed the bellhop a bit. As the elevator went up, she crossed her arms. She had to endure the horrible elevator music for a minute until the bellhop opened the door and let her out. Then Korra took off to the main office and did not bother to knock. When she entered, she was greeted by a surprised Asami. She was on the phone with a client at the time.<p>

"Can I call you back?" she said with an apologetic tone, "Something just came up."

She put the phone down and followed Korra to her office washroom.

"Korra," she called out with worry, "You're back suddenly."

"Sorry, I'm in a bit of a rush. I just wanted to get a quick visit and take shower. I have to deal with a shadowbender picked up by Lin and Mako. They're waiting for me and are probably bored and-" Korra rambled quickly before Asami put her finger on Korra's lips, shutting her up.

"I've never seen you this frantic for some time." Asami said with a caring smile.

Korra flashed a grin, "It's been awhile." She then sighed, "I just don't know what to expect from this man. I keep hearing about spirits and human stuff."

Asami then frowned, "Then I suppose this is a bad time to update you about Master Katara?"

The worried look on the Avatar's face was enough to answer her question, "What happened?"

"She had to go to the hospital because of a panic attack. I tried calling you but Ba Sing Se said that you were not around."

Korra then leaned against the wall with her fist holding up her head. She closed her eyes for a moment. She then lifted her head as if to gently hit herself with her hand.

"No, it's fine. Thank you for telling me." She finally stood up straight, "I need to borrow your shower. Can you go see to her for me?"

She kissed the Avatar gently on her lips, "Of course I can. You better brush your teeth too. Your breath tastes like spicy soup. You might burn the guy with just your breath."

"Sounds like I might have to just do that..." Korra said as she jutted her lower lip out. She then walked into the washroom.

Minutes later, she was out and in a change of clothes. Asami had been sitting on her desk waiting for her to come out. She gave the Tribeswoman a smile before meeting her to say goodbye.

"Hey, whatever that thing is, I know you can figure it out. I'll make sure to let Master Katara know that you are on your way to see her."

"Thank you." Korra said as her hands grabbed the woman's face. She kissed her a bit more roughly, "I love you so much."

Asami laughed, "You better get down there. Chief probably has Mako tied up from having to be patient."

"Poor Mako." Korra laughed, "Everyone's always poking at him."

They both let out a laugh as Korra walked out.

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><p>She was almost a bit disappointed to find that Mako was not tied up. He and Chief were talking about vacation locations. Lin was just describing how her first week of retirement would be when she finally left the station.<p>

"Then it would be straight malt whiskey and mud baths for days... Oh, you're back." Lin turned to face the opened window.

Mako let out a jesting pout, "Looks like we won't have to do a breaching mission to save the Avatar from the wicked Miss Sato."

"You both are funny... Let's get this over with."

"Right..." Lin said turning the Satomoblie back on as Korra entered it and proceeded to drive. "Oh and don't be surprised if he makes some dumbass comment or so... or hits on you." She said to Korra, confusing her.

"Hit on-" The Avatar asked just plain confused. "Why would he?" She asked Lin who just shook her head.

"Judging by all the comments he gave the female officers of mine who are from the Water Tribes, he seems to have a thing for them... weirdo..."

Korra's nose flared in annoyance, "Great. That's just what I need after dealing with Ambassador Wu."

"He's still at it?" Mako asked to which Korra nodded. "... He does know you're-"

"Yes he does. I told him that many times. Personally, I think it gets him going more as he thinks about the both of us and him. I wish I could sing badly to badgermoles and have them attack him." Korra said of the former prince before a snicker came from an unlikely place as both Korra and Mako looked at the Chief. She noticed their surprised looks.

"What? I can't find that funny?"

"Bei Fong has a sense of humor." Korra grinned before Lin took a sharp corner.

"She's just like the earth beneath us. You have to dig in deep to find something shiny." Mako added with a chuckle. He stopped as soon as he saw Chief's grim look in the rear view mirror.

"It's time to put our straight faces on. We can't be laughing like fools in there with him." Lin spoke as she returned to her sterner self.

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><p>Soon enough, they entered the prison where many prisoners watched and hollered at the two officers but once they saw Korra, they instantly lowered their voices and calmed down, not wanting to invoke her.<p>

"Good to see these guys are smart." Korra said with an all knowing smirk on her face.

Lin groaned and shook her head as she headed into another hallway. "Not always." She noted as they saw two cops were already posted outside of a door. They opened it as soon as the trio stood feet from it.

"The suspect is already restrained to the table and we made sure to make the room as bright as we could." One of the cops said.

Lin nodded and led them into a smaller room. Four more cops stood in there and were watching the prisoner through a one-sided mirror. The Chief gave Mako a look.

"He's all yours."

Mako nodded before he and Lin entered the room as Korra was curious and looked through the one-sided mirror. In there was the killer that had been roaming the streets of Republic City for days and nights, chained down by his wrists, ankles, waist and neck, just to keep him down.

"Just want you guys to know..." Hattori said as he saw both officers enter. "These chains are a little too tight. There're not fun at all."

Mako shook his head, "They're supposed to be tight."

Hattori glanced over at the one-sided mirror, "Is that the Avatar I see granted me the pleasure of seeing her finally? She's a looker for someone interested in rich women."

There was a pounding sound from the other side of the mirror. Both Mako and Lin gave the man a look.

"You know who is on the other side?"

"Well, yeah." Hattori said, tilting his head. "All those fucking morons in those cells don't shut the fuck up unless someone they know for sure can easily hand them their ass is in the same room. I doubt they'd stop for you solely on the fact you're the chief..." He said looking at Lin before looking at Mako. "You, if they didn't know you were a cop, they'd be calling you 'Fresh Meat.'"

"And why would they be calling me that?" Mako asked with a serious look on his face.

"With a pretty boy fella like you, they wouldn't waste the chance to beat you up, corner you in the shower and give you a human booster shot as they call you Suki." Hattori deadpanned getting a snicker from a female voice from behind the one-way mirror which they noticed, resulting in a '... sorry.'

Mako rolled his eyes as he took out his notebook. He made a quick note before looking intently at the suspect. "I'll keep that in mind." He finally said reminding himself in his head to not lose his mind to this psycho.

Hattori smirks as he observes Mako. He then chuckles before speaking with a humored tone.

"So, does the Avatar and her sweetheart ever ask you for your time?"

"WHAT?!" Mako responded as if he was just asked to dance in front of many Tiger Moose's wearing nothing but underwear made out of meat. "What? No, NO!" He said realizing he's screwing up already as he saw the killer's shit eating grin and Lin shaking her head at the stupidity she's watching. So he had to regain his composure. Mako and Chief Bei Fong swore they heard Korra on the other side swearing up a storm. "The Avatar... and her partner are in a private relationship. They would never ask for me as I am a close friend and... Well, to be honest, it would be kind of weird... There, I said it."

"Okay, enough of that Hanzo..." Lin ordered bending the chains to twist him around to look at her. "You better start talking or this won't be fun for you."

"Okay, fine, fine, I'll-" Hattori began before something rang in his head. "Oh SPIRITS, that's a good one, let me say that!" He said to himself before turning his head as much as he could to see Mako. "Maybe show them two lovely ladies some cockbending-"

Mako finally lost his mind with the man. He pounced over the table, wanting to choke the man. Luckily for him, Lin's cops grabbed him first.

"Settle down, Detective. Go get a drink of water." Lin shouted before looking at Hattori again, "We'll do this again tomorrow. You better bring a better attitude, Mr. Hanzo."

"Maybe I will sister, maybe I will..." Hattori said giving her a grin as he was mostly unchained to be lead away. "OH and Detective..." He said, getting Mako's attention once more. "Try not to lose your cool as much. I was just yanking ya' around. Heck, to be honest, I didn't even know the Avatar was into pussy..." He said passing by Korra, who wanted to bend him to the ground. "By the way, that was not an insult towards you or your partner; I'm not that evil."

Lin shook her head as she put a hand to her face. She let out a sigh as Korra walked in.

"Well, he's a charmer." Korra said with a pout, "Not only do we have to worry about his powers; we have to worry about his mouth."

"Don't know what's worse." Lin said, shaking her head. "Hopefully, we can end this tomorrow..." She said before noticing something off with Korra. "... Korra? What's wrong?"

"Master Katara's in the hospital." The Avatar answered, "I sent Asami to check on her, but I'm still a bit worried."

"Then go." Lin said to Korra's surprise. The Chief even put a hand on her shoulder, "Don't worry about the psycho. He'll still be here tomorrow and once we convict him, he'll be here forever. Checking on Katara is more important for you right now."

The Tribeswoman nodded, "I'll be back tomorrow if she's doing well."

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><p>The ride to the hospital was a silent one. Mako offered to drive her but they did not have much to say. Hattori had poked their feelings a bit. The nervous silence started to bother Mako fairly quickly. He began to tap the steering wheel.<p>

"So.." Mako started.

"No Mako. I'm not talking to Asami about the three of us hanging out in that manner." Korra said a bit forcefully, "I love you, but no."

"That's..." Mako pouted, "Not what I was going to ask. I was going to ask you if you were alright."

The Avatar sighed, "I'm sorry Mako. I shouldn't have shouted at you."

"No, it's kind of my fault. I let that psycho try getting in my head. How did he even know about us?!" Mako asked rhetorically, wondering how the killer knew so much about them.

Korra shrugged as she leaned against the Satomobile. She watched the recently built streets as they passed.

As they entered the hospital, Mako noticed a man with a badger nibbling on some man's ear. He shook his head as he followed Korra to the receptionist. She took off, almost in a run, towards the room. He reached the room, only to find that the old waterbending Master was sitting up in her bed, telling stories to her grandchildren and Asami. He watched as Korra leaned down to whisper in Asami's ear. He could only imagine that the engineer was smiling as the Avatar looked happier. He lingered in the doorway for a bit longer before deciding to leave.

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><p><strong>ADH- Well, Korra has gotten the update, came back into the city and not only checked on Hattori, but also on Katara, who had one close call last chapter. So why did Katara freak out about hearing about Hattori? Could it be of any use for Korra? Check next chapter!... And please give reviews, we need 'em!<strong>


	8. Chapter 7

**PipTook- Here is the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it. We're still writing it even if it has slowed. It's very conversationally driven.  
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><p>It was later at night when Korra had a chance to sit with her waterbending master alone. Most of their conversations had been about catching up and old jokes they had. Neither wanted to talk about the important subject but the older woman knew that the Avatar had questions about it.<p>

"Korra dear," she started, "What do you want to know about this man that can manipulate the shadows?"

"We don't have to talk about it now." Korra answered as the old woman took her hand, "You had a panic attack over hearing about him. I don't want to scare you again."

"I know, but..." Katara said. She did not want to remember but sighing at the fact she had to. "You need to know what you're dealing with. It is something your past life had experienced himself."

"If it gets too horrible for you, Master Katara, then please stop."

Katara nodded, sighing. "Alright. It happened fifty years ago; it was months after the incident with Yakone. Things had calmed down in the five nations and it looked like it was a time of peace..." She said before stopping. "... Until a small village in the Fire Nation was attacked."

_Arriving from the sky into a forest was a sky bison, being controlled by Aang, as his wife Katara, southern Water Tribe leader Sokka, his wife and Kyoshi Warrior Suki and Chief of Police of Republic City Toph Bei Fong._

"We had gotten news from Zuko that a small village within the Fire Nation had been attacked. He had two groups of soldiers sent out to check out the problem and in case they found who was behind it, arrest them if they could. Only one soldier came back alive, rambling about... A man who could bend shadows who had managed to kill every single other soldier..."

_The five got off the Sky Bison, keeping it there as they ventured into the village, only to see buildings and huts destroyed, burnt to the ground, corpses all over, burnt or torn apart._

"... When we got to the village, all we saw was destruction and death."

_Katara had to turn away from the sight as Aang held onto her, memories coming back to mind as the five went around the village._

"As we looked around for the man..."

_Aang, Katara and Toph turned and realized both Sokka and Suki vanished without a trace._

"My brother and his wife had vanished..." Katara choked up a slight bit, remembering how long she searched for him. "I'm sorry."

"As I said if you want to stop..." Korra assured as Katara held her hand up before nodding.

"We looked all over the area, not even Toph could find the two. Then after three hours, we found Sokka." Katara explained. "It looked like he went through hell, his left arm broken in two places, both eyes black and blue. We asked him where Suki was, but he couldn't remember as all he saw was darkness and her screams... BUT..." She said, looking at Korra. "He did remember what the... Shadowbender told him. 'Tell the Avatar to come on over to the graveyard, ALONE.'"

"Graveyard?" Korra asked. "Why a Graveyard?"

"We were confused too but Aang made the decision to go off on his own over there... But I couldn't have let him go alone... So I followed him from afar. Soon enough, I got to the graveyard, one we flew over on the way there. But when I got there, I was... amazed and shocked at what I witnessed..." She said as Korra looked, curious and wondering.

"What did you see?"

"Aang fighting against... the Shadowbender. He looked human, but... He had a shadowy aura around him with glowing red eyes, blood red... When he talked, the voice didn't seem like his own, sounded exactly like how pure evil would talk..." Katara said, remembering the battle she witnessed. "Aang fought against him, tried keeping him down, but the shadowbender wouldn't stop, and making these... tentacles and bursts come out of every shadow around them."

"What about Suki?" Korra asked, listening intently to her master.

"She had been beaten by him, but was still alive. Found her near a gravestone, seems as though the Shadowbender used her as bait, knowing full well Aang would come."

"Just who was this guy? This Shadowbender?"

"Never found out his name, but from what I heard him yell at Aang, it... wasn't him talking, I think something possessed the man, like a spirit. It said he gave him the power to get what he wanted and that he now had a... host. It now was in physical form and was almost unstoppable."

"Almost?" Korra asked.

"Yes as Aang did everything he could to try stopping it... but it just laughed, said... it was something else, something worse and that if Aang had to stop him, he only had one choice." Katara said to which Korra realized full well what she meant.

"... No, no, Aang wouldn't have."

"I know. I saw it in his eyes. He knew the only way to end it was to... kill the Shadowbender, but he just couldn't do it..."

"If so, how did Aang stop him?"

"Well... Aang didn't exactly do the deed. Both had crashed through a small walk in tomb and..." Katara stopped, remembering exactly the image that played through her mind. "Part of it fell on the Shadowbender's head, crushing him... But before Aang could respond, a... burst of shadows erupted from the area. An inhuman scream roared out, screaming at Aang for the accident, saying he ruined its plans to... break free from its bonds before... it sunk into the ground, taking the corpse with it as it vowed revenge against the Avatar."

Korra moaned at the thought of something wanting revenge against the Avatar. She was sure that almost everything wanted some sort of revenge against her. It was of no matter now. She knew exactly what she needed to learn from Hattori now.

* * *

><p>Hattori stood over the corpse of his cellmate, blood on his hands and chest, dented can of tuna in hand as he heard the guards rush over and stop in front of his cell, seeing the heavy breathing Shadowbender as he heard their rushed footsteps.<p>

"... What? He was a rapist. I was doing you boys a favor." He said with his back turned to them as he lightly threw the metal onto the caved in head of the corpse.

The guards looked at each other, wondering how he managed to kill someone with a can of tuna and then noticed the prisoner had Hattori's bandages in hand.

"Go call the Chief and separate this criminal from the others." the lead guard ordered before shaking his head.

Hattori sighed as other guards, scared of what this guy could do, kept their eyes on him. He could feel their fear as they opened the cell door and began cuffing him.

"BOO!" Hattori yelled out as he turned around, making them jump in shock at the sight of his face, which showed his right eye and ear area was missing, in fact, looked like it had been ripped open, about to bend him back when he laughed. "Really? Oh MAN, you guys are pussies! I thought I smelled tuna but I thought that came from the can. Alright, you can come and cuff me." He said with his hands out. "You see their faces? Priceless..." he looked up, knowing the Spirit was listening.

The guard would cuff him before slamming him into the wall, "We don't like sickos like you. Doesn't matter what the other guy did."

They then walked the man to the interrogation room. Lin stood behind her side of the room behind a wall to watch the man as he entered. She let out a harsh gruff as she studied him, yet the sight of his eye and ear wounds however did unnerve her a bit, but she didn't show it, at least explained the bandages.

"One night in jail and you are already killing cellmates? You must have plenty of friends then." she said in a firm tone.

"Well, yes and no." Hattori noted said shrugging as he looked at the two way mirror. "All of my friends... Mostly dead, they are. There's the voice in my head... OH, there was this nice shopkeeper lady..." Hattori noted, remembering Vuong. "Real nice... And a heck of a looker too. Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom; makes one for one fine lady..." He said, making the 'shapely woman' hand motion before seeing Lin's stone firm face. He stopped it. "But ah, well, recent events, kinda had to... End it before I took Asuka out."

Lin slams both of her hands down on the table, "Am I supposed to be impressed by your recent strings of murders? What is the purpose of all of this?"

Hattori looked around, bit surprised. "Ah, okay, little... Harsh there sister." He noted, looking up. "No, no, she means well, just... Rough." He said to himself to Lin's slowly increasing anger, looking back at her. "Sorry, he's kinda... Observant. No, I wouldn't say you should be impressed, though. Maybe a little thankful because the guys I killed were bad guys and not just cause they were Equalists."

She stared at him for a moment as she tried to determine who the voice in his head was and who Hattori was as he spoke.

"So acting on your own power than the laws of the United Republic should make me happy? Let me tell you pal; I didn't allow the Avatar to go without an earful after she had her own acts of goodwill. What possibly makes you think I will just thank you for this? You caused panic in the city and left many of my good officers in pain or suffering from panic attacks because of your sick mind. And I swear, if you call me sister one more time, I will make sure you never see the inside of a court room."

"Oh, heck no. They'd maybe put me in front of a firing squad and burn my ass for what I have done!" Hattori actually laughed as if he didn't care. "Alright then, sweetie. I do what I do, not because I'm pissed off at the law. In fact, you guys maybe didn't even KNOW what happened to me that caused to me to... well, you know, fucking kill those guys. Then again, secluded locale, pretty far away, not even you or your sister can sense it. Maybe your mom, because, you know, MOTHERFUCKING TOPH BEI FONG." he smiled before shaking his head. "I got no grand big plan... I'm not seeking to make a statement. I'm not Amon." He began before looking at the two way mirror, sensing that the Avatar had just arrived.

"You have a lot of balls bringing my mother into this."

"I have my own reasons to do what I do... Bet you're wondering why, yes?" he asked as there was silence and then he titled his head up. "I know she's gonna say yes. I'm being fucking polite, Spirits!" he said out loud to himself.

Lin pinched her nose as she was becoming impatient with the man talking to himself.

"Right then. I killed those four Equalists and those four thugs... and that purse thief... and those fucks at Asuki's brothel... and was gonna off some guy who tried to mug me, but I wasn't in the mood to deal with him when looking out at the brothel." Hattori listed off counting with his fingers. "Huh, killed a fuckton of people. Even a presidential hopeful, what was his name again? Read it in the newspapers, but I forgot."

"I'm still not impressed."

"Good for you. What was his name? Seriously, I can't remember his name. I've been referring to him as 'President Whore Fucker.'" Hattori noted. He still couldn't remember the name as he ignored the now angry Chief. "Oh well and- WOW, you look pissed." He noted, seeing her.

"Pissed does not even begin to explain how I feel. And what in your past gives you the right to brutally murder everyone that doesn't fit your ideas? You're certainly becoming much worse than what the Avatar had dealt with and even a slow painful death would be too pleasant for you. But I'm not the judge and I can't decide what happens to you."

She then signals for her guards to come and take him away.

"Equalists..." Hattori said not moving as Lin heard him speak.

She noticed it was not his dark snarky tone but a more grim tone, so she gave the signal for the guards to stop.

"What a fucking joke. All started because of some... hypocritical fuck who was pissed off at his daddy." He sneered angerly. "Saying that it was non-benders' time to rise and all that shit. 'Taking away bending,' when really, he was a waterbender. A fucking waterbender! Can you believe that shit! Many morons ate that shit up like pastries with coco chips! Oh, boo-frickity-hoo..." He started saying with a mock whiny voice. "... I can't bend so I get shit on by benders- SUCK MY MOTHERFUCKING DICK!" He yelled in anger throwing the cup full of water meant for him to the side, before looking at Lin with his one eye and if he still had his other one, that one too. "Aren't they a bunch of assholes?" He then spoke in a softer tone, "Then again, guess that makes me an asshole too."

Lin raised one of her brows as she spoke, "What the flameo are you talking about? Is this vendetta against the Equalist some excuse of revenge? And newsflash, this all happened five years ago. It's been handled."

"IT IS WHEN YOU'RE BETRAYED BY THE ONES YOU CONSISTERED YOUR CLOSEST FRIENDS AND ALLIES!" Hattori yelled in pure anger and for a brief second, sounded like another person was talking at the same time. A raspier, darker voice as his eye didn't turn glowing red like before but a more bloodshot violent red.

"They fucking betrayed me. HE FUCKING BETRAYED ME!" he yelled more as if something was cracking. "I told him to keep quiet, didn't want them to know... But he did it anyway and they came!" Hattori said tears and memories forming back up.

Lin moaned almost like she was mentally in pain from his outburst, "Get him out of here. I don't want to see a grown man break down."

"NO!" Hattori growled as he broke his cuffs with ease and raised his hand up, making his shadow smash against the door. He had blocked anyone from getting in or not. "YOU..." Hattori hissed, looking at Lin. "You wanted to know why I'm doing this and I'm telling you... So can I please continue?"

The guards responded by shooting their metal cables through the two way mirror to retrain the man to his seat.

"Then tell me. All you have done is complained about Amon and his followers."

"... Then I guess you weren't listening- TOO TIGHT!" Hattori yelled out, brief moment of sudden pain coming out as if to break the mood. "Pricks!" He yelled out at the guards before turning back to Lin. "I guess you weren't listening closely. I WAS AN EQUALIST. A NON BENDER YOU DUMBASS!"

"Alright, get him out. Clearly he just wants to insult us. We'll do this again when you have settled down."

"THEY KILLED MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER!"

"A lot of people lost their families."

"True... But how about losing them to those you trusted... I was an Equalist. This was before Amon made his big move... I was married to Water Tribe woman named Rei. We had a daughter. Her name..." He said, before remembering the hooker he met, then his daughter. "Karai. She would have been fifteen next week." Hattori explained, Lin letting him resume. "They didn't know what I did. They thought I was just a worker for the Earth Queen, speaking of which, whatever happened to her?..."

"She's dead. Red Lotus killed her." Lin answered, signaling to the guards to let him sit. She too sat down. She clasped her hands before her on the table, resting her chin on her hands, putting a look of surprise onto Hattori's face.

"No kidding, really?" He asked, getting a stern nod from the Chief. "Huh... thank the spirits someone finally decided to take out that cunt."

Lin was tempted very much to punch Hattori in the face. She hated that word but she kept it in. "Mr. Hanzo... the Equalists?"

"Right, sorry, never was a fan of her politics..." Hattori remembered. "Anywho, joined up with the Equalists cause, well, I admit was kinda dumb, buying their shit without really thinking of it. Dumbass move, I know..." Hattori noted. "Then one day... Karai... managed to bend a bunch of rocks around in a circle in her room... She was an earthbender. My ten year old daughter, an earthbender. The family trait skipped a generation I guess." Hattori noted. "I was shocked. I knew what the Equalists would do if they found out one of their big followers had a bender for a daughter... So I tried putting them in hiding... I told a friend of mine of it and I asked, heck, BEGGED him not to tell the others as he too was an Equalist. But him and I were close, good friends, despise our... upbringings and such. He told me he wouldn't tell anyone. He was a parent too so he knew what I meant... So I went into hiding with my family..."

Korra had walked into the room after convincing Mako to let her. She stood off to the side and crossed her arms as the man continued.

"Later one night, we were attacked. They knocked us all out then brought us near a pier; the one near the statue of the last Avatar. They beat me in front of my wife and daughter..." Hattori said looking up. "There were eight of them. You know who four of them are." He noted to which Lin nodded. "My friend was one of them. He told me that he had to tell them. He had to tell Amon... Told me they would go after his daughter, WELL WHAT ABOUT MY FUCKING FAMILY?" He yelled out before calming down, seeing the guards. "Sorry, rough topic... They insulted my wife. They called her 'the whore who gave birth to my bastard child' and my daughter an 'earthbending bitch.' I was too beaten down; blood clouding my eyes. I had to wipe them. When I did, they stabbed my daughter in the back and everything slowed down as she fell to the ground dead as my wife screamed before they held her down and slit her throat in front of my face!" He yelled tearing up again.

Lin paused as she took some notes, "Why didn't you come to us then?"

"Just was getting to that." Hattori noted one eye looking deadpan. "I screamed and cried. I begged her to stay alive as the blood drained out. I wanted to just escape the pain and just lunge out at those seven fucks and rip out their throats with my teeth and bare hand. I told them I wouldn't kill them. I would fucking murder each and every one of them for what they did; my best friend too and told them to look in my eyes and show I meant it." He said before sighing.

"Then they broke out the gasoline... and then lit it up. My family burned to ash... Me however, piece of metal flew at me in the process..." He said, pointing his bonded hands to where his right eye socket and ear would be if there wasn't the massive wound there without any sign of it healing. "That's how I got so pretty." He said before managing to lower the collar of his shirt, showing burned skin marks, swirled around. "There's much more than this..." he said, putting his hands on the desk, "Combination of me burning and the force of the blast... Enough to kill me as it blast send me into the water."

Lin raised an eyebrow, "Yet you are not dead?"

"Well technically speaking... I am dead... But I'm... also not alive. I'm stuck in between if you will." He explained. "Think of it as my own personal limbo. I was there for a good five years, forced to see all the suffering I caused either directly or non-directly, they don't sort it. The visual of my wife's neck being cut open and that knife that dug into my daughter's back, that I saw a lot..."

"Yet you look alive." Lin commented before turning to an officer near her, "Have we done a blood test on this guy to check for drugs?"

"Let me tell you the only form of drug or variation I've even taken is booze and candy. I haven't even told you how I met him..."

"Who is this 'him' then?" Korra interrupted Lin. She stepped closer.

"The voice in my head... Though, he has a... proper, if simple name..." Hattori said pointing at his head as his gaze met hers. "The Shadow Spirit."

Korra cursed under her breath. She was afraid it was behind this. "So, this Shadow Spirit allows you to Shadowbend?"

"Well, you know about him now, don't you Avatar? We might as well show ya'." Hattori grinned before rolling to his side into his shadow and vanishing into it before coming back up from Lin's on her side, popping up and slamming on the ground hard as he was still stuck in his chair. "AH! DAMNIT!... IT WAS YOUR FUCKING IDEA!" He said to himself, or rather who he saw as the Shadow Spirit.

Lin jumped up from her seat with her hands out before her.

"I would say that's impossible, except now I've seen it." Korra stuttered, "There are only three known times in history that a spirit and a human combined and managed to live. How are you able to do that?"

Hattori looked at Korra, glaring into her eyes. "Ask him yourself..." He said before breathing deeply before looking back up. His eye was now glowing red but not the blood variant most had seen him with but with an almost yellow outline to his.

"Simple, I saw the swordsman wanted revenge as he sat in those flames watching those horrible moments over and over..." he said but it was not Hattori's voice talking; it was another's.

The spirit talked through Hattori. The spirit's voice was deeper and raspier with old age. There was a hint of a snark not unlike Hattori's but much more frightening and wicked.

"He sought the revenge and I offered to give him the power to do so. We don't have to worry about the process killing him. He was already dead!" He said before looking at the bindings and tried pulling them off. "WOW, these things are a pain in the ass to break."

The Avatar looked around the room searching for a source of water. Now her curiosity was perking and her interest was in how a dead man and spirit could live in one body.

"Oh, Chief..." The Spirit looked at her giving an evil smirk. "Seems the Avatar is quite thirsty... Mind if you get her a drink of water? Hopefully it is to drink and not to interrogate me with." He said as she stood there, not scared. "Oh, I know of you... I know of everyone..."

"Humor me then." Korra started as she crossed her arms, "What do you know of me?"

Lin sighed with a sign of weariness from losing her temper with the man, "Korra, don't get him started again."

"Too late." Korra said as she leaned on the table.

"How's she doing?" The Spirit asked making Korra curious. "You know, she who haunted you after you vanished... OH, I bet she still haunts you... Those glowing blue eyes ever watching you. Watching you as that metalbender beat you senseless."

"You are speaking about something in my past that I have recovered from."

"Still, I see her. I see her watching over your shoulder, shaking her head with her dead eyes fixated. Oh, you may think it's over... But trust me it's not. You may have all of that power but even that won't stop me from painting this city red with your blood." The Spirit said cracking insanely, unnerving many, even if they didn't seem it, like Korra and Lin.

"Back to the story. I offered my assistance but for something in return from Hattori and no, not his soul... Too cliqued... I asked him to be my vessel. I've spent too long in the Spirit World. I like to... stretch my legs, metaphorically speaking as I mean. And 'lo and behold, he came back. Of course, it has been five years. Things have changed. The Equalist movement may be gone but those who betrayed him were still among us. It made things a little harder but with four tainted souls vanquished by ol' Hattori, I'd say he's making good progress."

Lin made no attempt to hide a false bravado, "Then what is your next move? I'm feeling that our jail isn't going to hold you for much longer."

"Oh, someone has wised up! Ha! As long as you do not mess up and make a vital mistake, Hattori will be stuck here. It's all a matter of what move you make next... Did you know Hattori was adopted? Fun fact... But I'll let him take back control..." The Spirit said lowering his head down for a small bit before he raised it again. He looked back at the two as his eye went back to its hazel color.

"So... That proof enough for ya'?"

He was only met by determined looks of the two women in front of him.

"Lin, can we talk in private?" Korra later spoke up. She stood quickly as she wanted to get out of the area of this thing as soon as she could.

"OH, not yet please Avatar Korra. I have one last story... You're gonna want to hear it..." Hattori said, first looking at Korra before looking at Lin. "Both of you actually. I feel as though it's... Vital."

"Then spit it out." Lin said.

"When the spirit offered me the ability to bend shadows and come back, I'll admit, I was a little worried and just in case, asked how I could trust him... So he showed me a vision... Well, more of an odd flashback if you will." Hattori explained. "It was about my mother. Oh, she was an ass kicker; very powerful indeed. She had ventured along the Fire Nation, everyone knew of her."

"Most benders will claim to be the most powerful, but continue." Lin said as she crossed her arms.

"Ooohhh... She did alright..." Hattori noted, giving an evil smile to Lin. "One night, she had been setting up camp, she was alone. A man passing by had come by asking for directions. Simple enough, she told him... Then, two other men appeared, dangerous looking fellas... She was ready to kick more ass... When the kind man she gave directions to clocked her over the head. Oh, still alive obviously but the plans those three had..." Hattori explained stopping as even he seen the events unravel once more. "Well, let's just say that cellmate of mine I had a good reason for hating him enough to kill."

"Just get to the point." Lin pressed her fingers against her nose.

"OH, I'm fucking sorry. Let me spell it out for you!" Hattori yelled out, standing up to Lin. "THEY HELD HER DOWN AS SHE TRIED STRUGGLING AND DID THINGS TO HER. THOSE THINGS: RAPE! That straight to the point for ya'?! So maybe show me a little more fucking compassion!"

"Do you want me to give you a fucking hug?" Lin asked calmly. She was screaming in rage on the inside.

Korra put a hand on Lin's shoulder, "Lin... please. Continue Hattori."

"Thank you Avatar Korra." Hattori said a little angry, but calmer.

He gazed deep into Lin's eyes. "She laid there, beaten and practically sodomized, crying when an old sword maker found her. She was frightened of him, but then saw he was just a kind man seeking to help, so he brought her to his home with his wife, helped her heal and get better and such. She left them, thanking them for getting her through such a dark time... Then came back a while later. She was of child and was scared to raise it on her own, she didn't want her friends and family to know how it came to be, so she went to the one man she can trust."

"So after living with him and wife, she gave birth to a baby boy. She asked the sword maker to take of the baby and he agreed, knowing she had good intentions for this choice. It also kinda helped that the sword maker and his wife were childless. So they named the baby after the sword maker, who was named the same as his dad, his grandfather, so on. That name... Hattori Hanzo."

The look on the Avatar's face softened but she was lost in her thoughts. While the story was sad, ideas on how to stop the shadow spirit were not forgotten. Lin just stood there. She was ready for this to be over with.

"... Any questions? Hello ladies?" Hattori noted, snapping fingers.

"Who was your mother, if you happen to know?" Korra asked.

"Oh, I know who she is..." Hattori asked. "But do you really wanna know?" He asked eyes still on Lin.

"I don't care because this does not have to do with the murders or the evil spirit." Lin was dead set on a staring contest to the death.

"No, but it does have to do with your suspect who was shown by the spirit. Come on sister, ask." Hattori said doing said staring contest.

Korra's gaze on the man slowly moved to Lin. She had picked up on the first time he called her sister and now was using it again.

"I told you to not call me that, you creep." Lin said through her teeth.

"Oh, fuck the subtlety..." Hattori deadpanned looking at Korra. "You wanna know who my mom is, ask our mom!" Hattori noted.

Lin closed her eyes, "Get him out of here."

"Repeat. ASK OUR MOM!"

"I want him secluded with lights on all night and day. Get him the fuck out of here!"

"Are you sure you wanna do that... What would OUR MOM THINK, HELLO?! LET ME SPELL IT OUT. YOUR MOM IS MY MOM!"

"Toph Bei Fong would not care about you! Do not call her mother!"

"HOW WOULD YOU FUCKING KNOW?! JUST BECAUSE YOU HAD FUCKING ISSUES WITH HER DOESN'T MEAN SHE WOULD WITH ME!" Hattori yelled the Spirit cracking through. "I can see into your soul. Your relationship with her was shit. Quit trying to hide it under that 'Stone Cold Bitch' persona... Well, guess what? I'm your half-brother. If you don't believe me, ask MOM HERSELF."

Korra then stepped in, "Officers, get the Chief out of here before someone gets hurt. Mako, I could use your help!"

"You are not my brother, you sick pie-" she was interrupted by Mako pushing her towards the door he entered from.

"Come on, Chief. This is done."

"ASK HER! ASK OUR MOM!" Hattori yelled. "EVERYONE HAS AT LEAST ONE SECRET THEY HIDE IN THE SHADOWS, EVERYONE!"

The detective finally managed to get Lin out of the room. When the door was closed, Korra turned to him.

"I don't know how much of that is true, it won't stop me from getting rid of that spirit in you." she sighed as she looked at the officers, "Put him in the room the Chief asked for."

"Again, how many times do I gotta say it? Ask my mom. I haven't lied one bit to anyone. Not you, not Lin, no one... And no, I need him for my revenge. I got four more to go; four more to kill."

The Avatar's face softened, "No. Give me their names and I'll make sure they are taken care of properly by the United Republic's justice system. You role in this is finished. You've had to endure this for too long. Let me help you."

"No..." Hattori said seeing the cops come. "I will get my revenge... And if you dare try stopping me, I WILL KILL YOU..." His voice hissed with the echo of the Shadow Spirits before returning to normal. "But I will give you a hint for the next guy. He did a lot for the city. His name is plastered everywhere here! "

Korra tried to process the hint before she had to force to return a glaring look, "I will end that spirit's corruption over you even if..." She breathed in deeply, "Even if my own life is lost in the mix. This has gone on for far too long."

She then signaled for the guards to take him away.

"Remember, everyone has one secret they hide in the shadows..." He said taken out of the room.

When Mako returned, he had to take a step back to keep his balance. Korra had rushed into his chest, immediately pressing her head into his collarbone. The threat of death had finally broken her dam as her tears fell.


	9. Chapter 8

**ADH- Well, another new chapter, after the big twist last chapter, how could this get even more crazy... well, let's see.**

**PipTook- This one is my favorite. I had fun writing my parts of it. I hope you enjoy it.**

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><p>Mako watched as his friend mulled over her thoughts. He had brought her some noodles and soup as she sat alone in the break room. Now, she was now just playing with them. He had heard the one-eyed man threaten her. The detective did not have to ask her how she felt about it. Korra seemed to be slightly shaken up from it still.<p>

"Hey, are you alright?" he asked anyways.

Her head popped up. There were bags under her eyes from lack of sleep and her brow was knotted. She looked as though she did not sleep well in the room she was given. Korra refused to leave the jail as long as Hattori was in a cell.

"You can't let him get to you. You said it yourself. His mind is corrupted by that... Shadow Spirit." Mako said.

"Like he got to you?" Korra snapped back before instantly regretting her words, "Sorry, Mako. I just cannot let his threats slide."

"At least he did not call you jail bait." Mako said as he joined her at the table, "I called Asami to come get you. Go get some sleep, Korra. I can handle him."

"I'm not leaving."

Mako leaned forward to take her free hand in his. The Avatar set her chopsticks down to take his other hand. Her thumb rubbed over his scarred hand as she stared at it.

"Korra, you can't be stressing over this. Chief and I will be fine here."

They both looked up towards the door. Asami had stopped at the doorway and cleared her throat to announce herself to them. Their reactions were humoring to her. The duo's eyes widen and they sat back in their chairs. Mako cleared his throat and began to apologize for what it might have looked like. Korra slammed back too hard and fell backwards. She then waved with a goofy grin on her face.

"Hey Asami."

"Even in the face of danger, you can still pull off that goofy smile." Asami smiled back as she laughed, "Are you ready to go?"

Still lying on her back, Korra responded, "I'm not going home. There are so many reasons why I can't."

The Avatar's girlfriend gave Mako a concerned look, "You can't go home because of a murderer?"

Korra nodded, still lying on the floor.

"It's... crazier than it sounds." Mako noted as he leaned over the table to steal Korra's noodles, "This guy is some kind of spirit thing in a dead man's body. I feel like I should be watching one of Varrick's movers."

The young Sato walked in. She stopped so she could look down upon the fallen Avatar. "Do you need help up?"

Korra's face went a bit red as she stared up at her girlfriend, "Nope. I'm actually comfortable right here. Can you lean over just a bit more?"

A gagging sound came from the other end of the table. Mako stopped to pull out the noodle that was close to choking him.

"I'd rather not see any mushy stuff from you both." He then pouted, "Please?"

"Are you alright over there, City Boy?"

"I'm just choking over your noodles, Avatar."

The firebender heard her attempt to jump up, only to see the table jolt from her head crashing into it and a hand slip from the table.

"Those are mine." Korra said as she finally peeked over the edge of the table.

Asami stood glancing in between the two of them. She was slightly confused as to what was going on. She was confused enough that the scene before her made her curious and she considered skipping a meeting and joining them. Alas, she really could not afford to.

"So, I guess I'll be going then?"

"Sorry for interrupting your day, Asami. Your girlfriend is stubborn sometimes."

"I am not." Korra gave the firebender a glare. She then smiled for Asami, "Thank you anyways. I love you."

"Right, love you too Korra. Mako, keep her safe, would you? I'm beginning to feel like today is going to get worse."

The detective gave her a three finger salute before taking another bite of the Avatar's breakfast.

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><p>After a much needed nap, the Avatar needed to try and persuade Hattori to reconsider his deal with the spirit. She commandeered the police station's kitchen and made a meal of dumplings and noodles for the man-thing... Korra was not quite sure what she wanted to call him, but man-thing certainly was not the phrase she was going to stick with.<p>

Naturally, Mako wanted to come. She told him to just sit by and make sure no one else got into the way of Hattori. Besides, his black eye was starting to look a bit better than before. She would feel guilty if he managed to get another.

Korra brought a bucket of water with her as well. If she somehow was able to convince him to let her do this, she felt she needed it to clear the spirit away. As she entered Hattori's solidarity wing, the sounds of her uneasy breathing and the water sloshing around filled the hall. As she reached his cell, she nodded to the guards before speaking.

"Good afternoon, Hattori. Are you hungry? I brought you a homemade meal." She said trying to hide her nervousness.

Hattori, currently chained down to the ground and walls much more than before, looked at her. "Oh, well that's very kind of you. Now, if only I could use my hands!" He noted clearly annoyed by the guards.

"After what happened with the prisoner and how you broke free while in interrogation, we're not taking any more risks." One guard said pointing his finger at him to which Hattori looked with his one-eye deadpan.

"... When I get out of here, I'm gonna rip that finger off and shove it up his ass..." He muttered before smiling at Korra. "Anyways, thanks Avatar Korra... or is it just Korra... or Sexy Water Tribe Lady Avatar?"

Korra cleared her throat after giving them all a strange look, "Korra will do... just Korra. Now, unlike the guards here, I'll be a bit nice and readjust the chains on you so you can actually eat."

She set the meal and bucket down and flicked one of the bindings further up his arm so he would reach out with his hand. She would then move the plate towards him.

"Thanks." Hattori said, using the one hand to take the chopsticks and began eating the dumplings, nodding his head in approval. "Not bad, not bad at all. Just like my dad used to make 'em... Well, Grandfather, you know Hattori Hanzo the VII."

"Of course. You briefly spoke of him earlier." She smiled as she made a seat for herself from the stone floor, "And I'm glad you like the dumplings. I made them myself. Not many people can claim they've had the Avatar cook for them."

"Not many can also come back from the dead so easily too." Hattori smiled still eating along with starting on the noodles. "Now, as kind as this is, May I ask what you're doing here after, you know, threatening to kill you if you tried stopping me."

Her tone from pleasantries to business, "I have known you for a short time, but in that time, I know you can somehow read thoughts."

She leaned forward. Her hands rested on her knees as she studied him.

"I am going to ask you again to please stop this mission of revenge. Revenge is not the answer. Let me help you find peace within your soul. Please?"

Hattori saw in her eyes she really did want to help, but shrugged as much as he could due to being chained up and resumed eating.

"Sorry, but I'm gonna escape and finish off those last four. Then...? Well, I don't know. Maybe I'll retire to Ba Sing Se. Perhaps near a nice lake or maybe I will just keep wandering and going about my way. Nothing against ya', but I vowed to get revenge. I had everything I cared for taken away. From those I considered friends. If you had someone do something bad to you, something REALLY bad, wouldn't you want revenge?"

The Avatar looked away, "It came across my mind when I faced Zaheer. He and his friends poisoned me and left me in a state that I would not wish on anyone. It would have been so easy to just end his life for putting me in a wheelchair for almost a year. I understand what it's like to lose something important to you."

She paused to fight a tear from the memory, "But revenge? Revenge festers and lingers in you. It makes you feel guilty afterwards like something deep down is eating at you. So when I faced him, I accepted what happened but I chose to not forgive him. You can do that too."

Hattori shook his head. "Not the same. You were just crippled, physically and by the sounds of things, mentally too?" He asked to which Korra nodded. "Right, well with me, I was beaten, forced to watch my family be murdered, then set alight while I got a piece of shrapnel to the face and drowned. I got a damn good reason." He explained before eating some noodles.

"Plus, I also found out that my whole life was a lie. The people, nice and kind mind you, I thought were my parents weren't and that I was a byproduct of a violent gang rape, one done to the greatest Earthbender in the world. Of course I would be pissed and wanting to see all the scum of the world die."

His words crushed her. She shook her head, "Not the same..." A flash of anger crossed her face, "Do you know what it's like to have to depend on others for the simplest of things? Or watch helplessly as a major part of who you are is ripped from you? I'm not saying that losing the Avatar's past lives is in anyway close to losing a wife and child, but it is still painful. I lost a part of who I was."

She then stood, "Or how about growing up in a compound for most of your life out of fear that someone wanted to kidnap you and corrupt you? We all have our moments of weakness, but you can't let that corrupt you into doing the same."

"Hum..." Hattori said giving the words some consideration before looking up. "... did you know... WOW, what's his name? You know, face sliced off, man, how did i forget? Anyway, he wasn't my first victim... Oh, he was always gonna be the first... Till I got a good look at the three men who raped my mom..." He said eye glowing red, but it looked calmer than ever. "Frankly, I was surprised they were still alive when I found them..."

Korra sat down again, slouching over on her elbows. Her brow scrunched together as she listened to what he was saying.

"Still in the Fire Nation, oh, they stopped their games... But they still liked to brag about the past. I'm surprised they never tried revealing the truth. Frankly, I think they knew not doing so would be better to hurt mom..." Hattori explained, eating more. "But then they saw me in the same bar they were in. They didn't know who I was. They just saw I was focused on them. They tried being tough and told me to fuck off... One tried pushing me back... So I pushed him back into his own shadow."

As he told this, he couldn't help but give a wicked smile, one not influenced by the Shadow Spirit. "Whatever the shadows did to him, it was messy as all that came back other than blood was an ear... I think a hand too."

Korra breathed in deeply and let it out slowly. She looked conflicted still and let the silence continue for a bit longer before speaking. "Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"What does death feel like?" She paused to let out a nervous chuckle, "One like the one you experienced?"

To say Hattori was surprised, would be a hell of an understatement.

"Death? Like dying?... Well, like I'm sure the Shadow Spirit said, it depends. All I remember was getting hit and set on fire before everything went black. Then... just darkness as thoughts rang through my mind... But of all the suffering I caused indirectly... including my family's deaths. It kept playing like a mover over and over as I was stuck there." He said drinking the broth of the noodles.

"Now, coming back to life was different, like getting a giant jolt to the heart and then slammed back into the hard stone wall called reality. In my case, I was still in the water, so I also had to swim up to the surface too." He said, noticing the guards look at him as he put down the broth. "I'm not doing anything, you fucks!" he said, his eye on them.

She nodded and stood up again. Korra moved to the opposing wall before dismissing the guards. She received looks of disbelief but if Hattori was telling the truth, she knew that she had to protect them should the man decide to break out.

"There was no moment of peace?"

"Well, where I was, yes. It was my own little personal hell. I know my family is... Well, I'm sure they are in a good place. I doubt I'm gonna go there when I die... again, with my track record. But hey, just me thinking here... Why? That's an odd questions coming from the Avatar."

She closed her eyes and rested her head upon the wall. The cool stone felt calming as she felt herself heating up from being nervous around him.

"I know you are going to break out of here, whether it's moments from now or a week. I also know that I cannot allow you to leave. You also told me that you would paint the city red with my blood if I got in the way. I just want to be prepared for the worst. I can feel that my attempts to talk you out of this are waning."

"How do you know? For all you know, it could be working..." Hattori assured before a beat. "... I mean, it's not, but nice to see someone being nice to me here. Now, what was I saying? Oh yeah; my three possible dads." Hattori started eating more noodles. "Oh, these are good... Now, they were clearly freaked out, but still tried to fight for some spirits forsaken reason. One tried to slam me with a wooden chair, holding it by the pegs. I just jumped back and kicked it back, hard enough to make the said peg go into his eye and out the back of the head. It's not as messy as you would think. The last guy tried escaping but I grabbed him and looked into his eyes..." He said before thinking of something.

"Now, odd thing is before I killed him, by ripping his heart out mind you, I looked into his eyes... They were hazel... like mine. But I didn't care if he was my dad or not... I just wanted him dead. Alas, those were the first three murders I committed."

"Three more people," Korra randomly said, "You have three more people on your list. I figured out your next target and Hiroshi Sato has been dead for the past two years. He died so Asami could live."

That perked up Hattori's ears, making him tilt his head. "... bearbullshit, really?... And you didn't tell me this when you first got in 'cause?"

"It took me a night of thinking to figure out who your next target would be and Asami was supposed to take me home so I could sleep away from here." She turned glaring at him, "She's not on your list too, is she?"

"Oh, NO, nonono... I was... Well, using her to be honest." Hattori said seeing her glare. "I never had any intention to hurting her... Her father was my best friend... Course, he didn't have a hand in killing me, but it still pissed me off... Looking back, I can understand why he would have done that. I'm sure he regretted it too... But man, if I knew this, I wouldn't have followed her."

Her glare softened and she leaned back on the wall. She looked deep in thought again as she ran a hand through her hair. Korra was now out of things to say to him but she was still hesitant on using the bucket of water on him to get rid of the evil spirit.

"... Well... That all?" Was all Hattori asked, his eye slightly flicking up as he noticed something.

She nodded before looking back at him, "I having nothing else to ask you. I know where our paths go from here."

"Smart gal... Smart gal indeed... Just so you know; you're a good person. Maybe the best I've known and a good cook." Hattori smiled an almost assuring one. "But I just found target number six."

He finished before raising his hand up using it to bend a ram of sorts against Korra, slamming her against a wall as bended a shadow tentacle to slice his chains off. The guards quickly entered the cell only for Hattori to clothesline both of them to knock them out, looking in the direction of what he seen before looking at Korra.

"Also, tell my sister I said 'Hi.'" he said before starting to leave.

The Avatar was slow to get up. The unexpected hit left her in a slight daze and she knew she had a cut on her face from hitting the wall. Suddenly, she was forced up and saw that both Mako and Lin was shouting something at her. Her wits returned to her and she dashed after the serial killer, leaving the two, who soon followed her.

Some of the stone walls around Hattori began to jut out at him as he ran. He knew Korra was close by now. He also knew that she was being careful about tearing the jail apart, lest she let someone out by mistake. Then a stone wall stopped him in his tracks. He could hear the Avatar's shouts before he used the shadows in the cell near him to vanish and move around the wall. He looked back to see the Tribeswoman crash through her stone wall. She was ever so eager to stop him. He had to respect her for that. She was not quitting on her promise.

The chase continued through the jail until he was able to find the evidence room. He grinned as he walked in.

"There you are..." he said to himself, not to attract attention.

* * *

><p>The lights went out. Korra held a flame in her hand as she searched the room for him. She had to wipe her forehead to get some of the blood out of her vision. It seemed like she forgot to breathe for a moment before a sword was swung at her. She reacted by bending backwards and away from the blade. When she regained her balance, she ripped the blade from Hattori's hand and made sure to break it into pieces. She then sent the shards back at him. He vanished before reappearing to her right.<p>

"Motherfu-, MY GRANDFATHER MADE THAT FOR ME!" he called out in anger before swinging at her with his fist.

The Avatar managed to duck and avoid his first wave of punches. Sensing that the shelving in the room was metal, Korra reached out for them and brought them in, intending to smash Hattori. She heard a gruff of air before he came into her vision again. Korra moved another set of shelving in front of her before watching the shadows rip it from her.

She sent out a wave of fire, allowing the light to help her locate him again. Hattori aimed to hit her with an uppercut. Korra rolled in between his legs. He soon let out a cry of pain as Korra had stretched out after leaving her roll, kicking his knees out from him. She went to pounce when he caught her in the stomach with both of his feet, pushing her back into the wall.

His second barrage of attacks was countered until she felt something grab her right arm. A flame appeared in her left hand and before she would get out of the shadow's grasp, Hattori grabbed the first three fingers on her right hand and crushed them before pushing them backwards onto the backside of her hand hard enough to break them as Korra let out a scream from the sudden pain.

The shadow form then pulled and dislocated her arm from its socket before pushing her back into the wall. As the shadow man stepped forward, Korra let out a grimace of pain before her mouth erupted with flame. Hattori felt his beard and some of his face catch on fire as he screamed in pain. Then he ran from the room before she could send another set of shelving his way.

She struggled to get up, using the wall as an aid. She held her right shoulder tightly.

"Oh, this is going to hurt..." She muttered before pushing it against the wall, making her give another pained scream as it popped back in.

The room was still dark when Mako busted the door open. Several guards stood behind him.

"Where is he?" Mako asked as he turned the lights on, "You look horrible."

Korra tried to smile as she walked over to him, "I'm fine. It's just a flesh wound. We need to find Hattori. He's searching for his next target and I think this person is in here."

"Korra, you have fingers that are about to fall off your hand!"

She then put her good hand on the floor to use the city's spiritual energy to track him down again. She cringed as her broken hand fell to the floor but she could not let up now.

"Follow me." She said as she started at a slow run. Her right arm was being supported again.

The guards gave Mako looks of disbelief as the firebender took off to follow again. If the Avatar was even harmed by the homely man, what could they be able to do?

Korra rounded a corner. The cell he was after was in sight. As she reached it, a shower of red was thrown out from the cell. The Avatar turned away as she was hit by the bloody mess that was Hattori's target. The serial killer let out a dark laugh before disappearing into the night. The last thing they saw was his lone red eye. Korra sighed before cringing again. She then looked at her blood covered hand. Next thing she knew, Mako was holding her up from hitting the ground.

* * *

><p>Asami was violently woken up when she heard a window crash in. She grabbed her robe and her electric glove before pulling her hair back and searching for the cause of the noise. That's when she found Korra and Mako in her washroom. A bloodied and battered Korra was sitting back against the wall while Mako tended to her hand. The detective had carried Korra to the mansion. The Avatar had then stubbornly lifted them up on a pillar of earth to the window.<p>

Mako's uniform jacket was stained from where the prisoner's blood had covered Korra and there was also a wrinkled spot from where she grasped onto his jacket.

"I still think you should see a doctor, Korra." Mako scolded.

"What happened?" Asami asked. "Can I bring anything?"

"I want a tub of water." Korra said as she cringed with pain, "And something to wrap my hand up in. I have to find this guy tonight."

Mako shook his head, "No way. You need to rest. You have three broken fingers and an open wound on your head, Korra. You really are in no shape to fight him."

"Just find me something to wrap my hand up in."

The inventor focused on getting the large tub filled with water as her friends argued some more. She was not sure on how warm Korra wanted the water so she made sure to fill the tub with lukewarm water. When she turned, Mako had somehow managed to talk Korra out of her shirt and boots. Asami sighed with relief when she saw that most of the blood on her girlfriend had not come from her. She knelt to help the injured Avatar and the firebender take Korra's trousers off.

Mako tossed the items away before he was forced out by Asami.

* * *

><p>After some time and a cup of tea with Mako, Asami returned to the washroom. Korra was leaning on the side of the tub with her injured arm resting on the rim of the tub. She was in a blue undershirt and shorts. The broken fingers looked to be wrapped tightly, probably at her own doing. Her face was hidden under her good arm but the stained bandage was visible. Asami knelt by the tub and gently placed a hand on her girlfriend's shoulder.<p>

"Korra," she said softly, "Are you hungry?"

She watched as the Tribeswoman's head shifted. Her blue eyes met green as Korra took her hand in her uninjured one. Asami assumed that the waterbender had been healing her arm and face by the bags under her eyes.

"I'm good. The painkillers you gave me are setting in finally. I think I fell asleep." Korra smiled slightly, "Well, they're helping a bit. I wish that I had waited to reset the bones myself."

Asami cringed at the thought, "Are you sure you don't want to see a doctor? They can properly cast them."

"I'll just light it on fire when I face Hattori again. It's better if I do it this way."

The Avatar then sat up on her knees. She leaned over more to catch Asami's lips. The engineer reacted by placing her hands on either side of Korra's face.

"Join me? I can reheat the water and there should be no blood in here. I refilled it earlier."

Asami nodded as she kissed the Avatar again, "You had me at 'join me.'"

* * *

><p>Mako sat out in a meeting room by himself. He looked at his watch noting that it was taking Asami a long time to check up on Korra. He finished his tea and sat back into the seat a bit more. He tapped the sofa's arm with a finger for another few minutes before leaving the room. He headed down to the washroom and found that the door was locked. His ear pressed against the door. He sighed and decided that he was just going to go home. Asami had everything under control and Korra seemed to be doing better.<p>

The detective made sure to take the dirty dishes down to the kitchen. He informed a few of the house workers that Asami probably did not need anything else before getting a ride home.

* * *

><p>Over in another part of Republic City far from the prison, Hattori burst from the shadows in an alleyway sighing in anger. He wasn't on fire anymore but the burning still hurt as he looked in a nearby window at his face. He looked like a part or two on one side of his beard was burned off as was a couple patches of his long hair. He also noticed that the area around his eye and ear wound looked burnt and charred, along with some minor redness from the fire.<p>

"Oh, that's fucking delightful..." Hattori said to himself as he looked in. "... getting set on fire AGAIN..." He said before he saw his reflection seem to change, seeing it more shadowy looking with the red eye.

"Can't catch a break, can ya'?" The Shadow Spirit spoke in the mirror.

"Seems not. I will give the Avatar this; she's not one to go down easy. She broke my katana." Hattori responded back.

"Regardless of how powerful she is, she won't stop you. If you were able to easily deal with her without killing her, she'll never be a problem."

"Well, never say never."

"Funny..." The Shadow Spirit droned. "Well, must say that was quite a messy kill you did back there."

"Didn't have any weapons so I let the ol' Shadowbending do its work." Hattori responded still looking at his hair as the Spirit did the same. "Only problem is now they know what I look like. I mean, look at me."

"... You can just alter your appearance, trim down the hair and such?" The Shadow Spirit responded before Hattori gave a deadpan laugh.

"Oh heh heh heh, not like I could just go into a barber shop and ask for a trim. They'd report me." he said before he saw the Shadow Spirit point down to which Hattori looked and saw a straight razor in a nearby dumpster.

"Will that do?"

Hattori picked up the blade and looked at it. "Looks to be in good condition... Well, it's gonna suck doing this without shaving cream..." He said before raising the blade to his hair.

Moments later, Hattori cut the last piece of hair on his head, only managed to nick himself twice. Not bad as he looked at himself. His long hair now cut into a small mohawk and his beard now a small goatee.

"That'll do..." he said before looking at the eye and ear burns, seeing that the remaining burnt flesh was barely holding on.

"Well..." He said before feeling it with his free hand cringing in pain at the touch before closing his one good eye before grabbing the burnt flesh and ripped off, screaming in pain at it.

"FUCKING FUCK!" he cried out, looking back into the mirror, seeing that without the flesh where his wounds was now charred and broken bone, now looking undead.

"Think that look suits you." The Shadow Spirit smiled, nodding as Hattori just looked before .putting the hood on his jacket over his head so his wounds on his face would be covered in shadows. He then looked at the razor.

"Might keep this." Hattori said, pocketing the blade before leaving.


	10. Chapter 9

The office of the Chief of Police was dark. The lights were turned off as she entered the room. After she helped Mako with Korra, the phone rang non-stop. President Raiko had heard about the recent actions of the serial killer and he had quite the earful to give her. Actually, she had been forcefully retired. The only reason she was still in the office was that Raiko did not think ahead and find a replacement. So she had her job for one more day before she would be replaced.

To top that, her mind wandered to what Hattori had said about her mother. She knew Korra believed him, but she did not. Lin knew her mom and Toph Bei Fong just did not seem like a woman who had been tormented like that.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Mako peeked in the door. He too looked like he had forgone sleep. His hair was a mess as well.

"Detective, is that haircut professional? You look like a bag of dirt."

"It's not true, is it Chief? You aren't truly fired, right?" He asked as soon as Lin's insult was over.

"I'm not fired. I'm being forced into retirement. I'll be drinking on a beach in no time."

"You really are considering that?"

"No, of course not!"

"Still, you worked your ass off for this city and now they're pushing you to the curb all because of some nutcase escaping and killing two people?" Mako retorted.

"You think I hadn't thought of that?!" Lin said, her voice slightly cracking. "And if that wasn't enough, said nutcase claims to be my brother and that my mother was raped!"

A moment of silence went on between them. "Do you believe him? Everything he said, about your mother?" Mako asked, trying to calm her down.

"No I do not," She said before pressing her fingers into her temples, "But Korra believes him."

"Well, can't you tell he's lying?" Mako asked to which Lin shook her head.

"He believes it, I can tell. His heartbeat, facial tics; he sees it as the truth. But I don't. My mother and I may have gone through one heck of a rough patch but I know her. She wouldn't let that happen to her. Not by a bunch of assholes, not by anyone." She said trying to think of a possible way the killer could be lying. "I mean, how would three guys manage to surprise her? She would have sensed something was wrong!"

"I remember what Hanzo said..." Mako began. "For you to ask her to show he wasn't lying. Do you think it's a trick?"

"Well, guess I'm going to go find out myself as after today," Lin paused for a moment, "I won't be in Republic City. I'll be leaving to ask Mother myself."

The detective nodded, "Well, it was an honor working for you Chief. I hope you find what you need."

As he turned to leave, the Chief called out.

"Mako," she started with a kind tone, "Take care of yourself kid and make sure Korra stops this thing."

"Got it Chief. Enjoy your retirement... I hope you find what you're looking for." Mako assured, in which Lin looked at her desk, knowing it'd be the last she'll see it.

"Same here."

* * *

><p>Korra opened her eyes, but something was wrong, everything around her was darkness. Very few shapes could be made out in the dark.<p>

"Asami?!" She yelled out remembering she was just with Asami in her bedroom before trying to escape.

But she couldn't. Something was holding her arms and legs in place. She felt like she was being poisoned with the mercury all over again. Then she heard a laugh. A flash of light alerted her to the scenery around her. Bloodied bodies on stakes were seen and she felt like she was stepping in a pool of blood.

"Oh Avatar..."

That voice alone made Korra's eyes go wide. She knew the voice just by the one talk she had with its owner as she saw two red eyes look right at her. "You won't stop me; nothing you can do can end what is eternal..."

"That's not true. If I can handle Vaatu, I can handle you."

"Vaatu was nothing but a worm... as is Raava." The Shadow Spirit voice rang seeming to be heard everywhere, from in front of Korra to behind her in a split second. "You won't stop me."

"I will even if I have to spiritbend you out of Hattori's body..." Korra assured, eyes closed, trying not to be scared.

"OH... I don't think so Avatar..." The Shadow Spirit laughed back as the area flashed once more, a mass of shadow tentacles and a sharp row of teeth behind Korra shown with the red eyes seen briefly. "Besides... Hattori was the one that said I was a spirit. I didn't have any say in that."

A lash from below her then tore through Korra's eardrums. As her eyes opened, she looked down and saw a bloody torn apart stump where her injured hand used to be. The sight caused her to scream in horror.

"Face it Avatar, you can't win. YOU WILL DIE!" The Shadow Spirit yelled before Korra felt her body begin being torn apart as she screamed more.

* * *

><p>"AAAHHHH!"<p>

The horrified scream woke Asami, who was lying next to Korra in her bed. Seeing her lover sit up scared and sweating very much, she hugged her. The Avatar let out another scream, but instead of horror, it was of pain. She had managed to hit her injured hand on something in the dark.

"Korra! Relax!" Asami assured, holding the tribeswoman in her arms. "It's just a nightmare, just a nightmare."

Korra's eyes dangerously searched the dark for something before settling on Asami. She wrapped her uninjured arm around her before letting out a whimpering sound.

"Asami, can you take me to the hospital? My hand needs to be reset."

Asami hugged her tighter, "Of course, love. We should have gone sooner."

"I know."

The sun had risen by the time they were able to leave the hospital. The doctors wrapped her hand up tightly and had splinted her three fingers together for support. Her shoulder was also wrapped for support. He also made sure to tell Korra not to firebend with that hand while the cast was on. Then came the painkillers. She was thankful for them but her attention was all over the place. Asami teased her slightly for the random things that came out of her mouth.

"Are you hungry? I know a great place to stop and have breakfast." Asami said as she turned the ignition of her Satomobile on.

"Sure. Food sounds wonderful right now."

They drove for another ten minutes before parking. They both felt the staring of a few passersby as they walked from the vehicle to the restaurant. Neither cared about what the city felt about them but they both figured that Korra's injured hand was the source of their curiosity. Korra made a funny comment about a sign. Asami paused to look at a newspaper stand and tugged at the Avatar's good arm.

"_Chief of Police; Sacked For Jail Murders Under Watch_." She read out load, "No, Raiko couldn't have."

The Avatar frowned, "It wasn't her fault. I was the one that provoked him."

The engineer pulled some pocket change out to buy a copy of the newspaper. She then tucked it into her purse and they continued into the restaurant. The couple made sure to ask the hostess for a private booth. When the hostess walked off, they continued to read the article. Korra almost slammed her fist on the table out of frustration but the cast did a good job of reminding her why she shouldn't.

"It's my fault she lost her job." Korra sighed.

"No it isn't and you know that Korra." Asami assured. "Yes, you knew he would break free but you couldn't have expected that one of his victims would just so happen to be in the same jail. Who was that guy?"

Korra shrugged, "I didn't get a chance to see him before I was showered in his blood."

"I thought Mako would have told you who he was." Asami noted.

"He was more worried about me passing out on the floor with a broken hand and a shoulder that was recently put back into place." Korra sighed as a pot of tea was brought to them, "I can't blame him for that."

"Well, thank the spirits he did." Asami said before looking at the waitress. "Thank you." She said before looking at Korra. "That nightmare of yours; was it about him, Hanzo?"

"No," the Avatar filled a cup for the both of them, "It was about the shadow spirit. He... well, killed me in my dream. It's not exactly a story to tell over breakfast though. There was just so much blood."

"I'm sorry." Asami apologized before Korra held her hand and smiling.

"It's okay but when I see Hattori again, I won't hesitate to rip that spirit out of him." She assured.

Asami continued to smile even as she did not understand what Korra meant. They ordered their breakfast before she started their conversation again.

"So, I know it's sudden and a bit random," Asami started with a nervous tone, "But would you like to move back in?"

"Today?" Korra asked just as her teacup hit her lips.

"Well, why not?"

"Well, with all the crazy ass shit going on..." Korra began before seeing Asami, who gave that smile she loved seeing. "But I would love to be back at your place. Mako's place is fine but I think that I'm pushing his welcoming." She smiled giving a giggle, "And probably the landlord's."

"I guess I can see why you painted his living room often if you were that bored." Asami teased.

"And you won't mind if I do still paint?" The Avatar grinned.

"As long as you don't bend and paint. Oh and not the walls. I can find canvas for you to paint on."

Korra gave her signature goofy smile. "That'd be nice."

The couple began to eat after their meal was brought. It was a quiet few minutes as they both underestimated how hungry they were. The Avatar stuffed her mouth comically while the engineer was slower to finish her plate.

"So, how are your parents doing?"

Korra pounded her chest as she began to choke on her large bite-full before answering hesitantly, "They're asking me if I've found anyone..."

Asami looked at Korra, noticing the tone of voice. "Let me guess..."

"I haven't told them about us yet." Korra sighed now playing with what was left of her food, "I just don't know how they'll react."

"It's been two years."

"I know but this isn't a common couple to see in the Water Tribes. Even if the Southern Water Tribe isn't as strict like the Northern Tribe with tradition, there are still certain things we value... like family and being able to provide for tribe. I can't exactly provide my parents with grandchildren. I know my mother is patiently waiting for them." She let out a sigh, "I fear they'll disown me."

Asami, however, held Korra's hand. "They wouldn't. I've met them before. Maybe it was not in the best of moments, but I don't think they will not disown you. I'm sure of it."

The Avatar gave her a lopsided smile, "Thank you for understanding."

"And thank you for... Well, thank you." Asami responded, both chuckling.

"Well, I guess it's time to break Mako's heart again and tell them that his favorite roommate is moving out." Korra stood after Asami paid the bill.

"Aw... I have to be there to see that." Asami said trying to hold in another chuckle as did Korra.

"We really need to give him a break." Korra continued to laugh, "He has been very supportive and honest with his feelings of us."

The engineer laughed again, "Alright."

* * *

><p>They were just in luck as Mako was returning home to change before leaving again. Thought she smiled at the thought of seeing the firebender pout, Asami offered to stay at their ride as Korra collected her things. She was positive that it was the painkillers taking over, but Korra rambled on about something as the firebender brooded over the thought of suddenly losing his roommate.<p>

"It's going be kinda boring without you around, painting the walls over and over," Mako said looking every ounce of sadness that Korra was going back to Asami's place, "And not to mention all of the facial massages I can't plead and beg for after a bad day at work. Or making jokes about the radio shows."

"I can still come over and listen to the game shows with you. We can make it a weekly thing." She said as she stuffed a green bag with her small collection of items.

"And make some of those dumplings and noodles?" He asked with a small smile which she returned.

"Of course." She returned the smile before continuing, "I never did thank you for getting me home the other night."

"You fainted. I was not going to leave you in the jail with a broken hand. I just wish that you would have let me take you to the hospital first instead of going straight to Asami's."

"And you were right. I should have gone there first. I'm sorry for not listening." She turned towards the door, "I received a well deserved lecture from the doctor this morning."

Before she could leave the room, Mako grabbed her uninjured arm and brought her in for a tight hug. She commented about her sore shoulder before her brow rose. He had managed to press his face into her neck line and was breathing strangely, like he was deeply hurt.

"Mako, are you going to be okay?" she returned the hug, rubbing his back.

He pulled away, a bit red in the face, "Yeah, why wouldn't I? I can handle living alone."

"Were-," she stuttered, "Were you about to cry? Is this... This is really getting to you?"

"Crying?" he started trying to save face, "No... Yes, of course I am. You're my best friend. I love you and I'm going to miss this, even if you drive me crazy and I've been stealing you from your girlfriend."

Korra stared, flabbergasted, at his confession.

"... heh? What? No. No you haven't stolen me from her." Korra suddenly tried to change the subject, "You better go wash your face off. You wouldn't want to see Bei Fong off with tears in your eyes." She planted a kiss on his cheek, "We'll wait for you downstairs."

Mako nodded after wiping his eyes, "Alright. Please don't tell Bolin that you saw me crying. I'll never live it down."

"I promise that this won't leave the room." She responded before closing the door to the apartment.

Minutes later and after finding his dignity, Mako jumped into the back of the Satomobile and they were off to the train station.

* * *

><p>"Still can't believe Raiko made you retire Aunt Lin." Opal said as both her and Bolin were with Lin, who had a bag packed to bring with her, waiting for her train.<p>

"Yeah, totally unfair." Bolin added in.

Lin sighed wishing it had not ended like this. She did not want it ending on someone else's terms.

"Yeah well, I had been planning to retire after solving the case..." She began. "But life has an odd way of progressing things."

"So, the first thing you're going do is visit Grandma? Why?" Opal asked not fully knowing her aunt's intentions. Lin herself was at a loss of worlds, but wasn't going to show it.

"I just need to clear up some things." The now former Chief began before she saw a Satomoblie pull up, getting her and the couple attention as they saw it was Asami come out of the driver's seat, along with Korra and Mako. "Alright, I sort of expected Mako, but not you two."

Korra gave a mock scoff at that remark. "Well, Mako told us what you're doing..." She said as the three approached the other three before her talked more calmly. "So... Going alone I see?"

"I have to. I just have to." Lin said. The more she thought more of the topic, the more unsure she was about it but she knew she had to ask her mother about Hattori. "But... thanks for coming."

"Of course Chief." Korra smiled to which Lin herself gave a soft smile.

"Just Lin now and there's my train." She said as they all noticed the train coming before shaking Korra's hand. "Avatar Korra, find this bastard and stop him." She said before looking at Mako, doing the same. "Detective, I already said this, but you help her out."

"I will."

"Good..." Lin responded before looking at Asami. "Ms. Sato... I don't know what to say to you; just make sure your girlfriend doesn't do anything stupid."

"No promises." Asami chuckled getting a little chuckle from Korra. "Yeah, no promises."

"Figured." The former Chief said before seeing Bolin and Opal. "And you two... Do something; help them out or something."

"We will." Bolin smiled as Opal hugged her aunt before attempting to join in, only for Lin's hand stopping him. "Sorry."

They all gave one last laugh at the sight before giving their goodbyes as Lin stepped onto the train, giving her ticket to the conductor and sat down on a seat, ready to confront her mother. It was time to find out the truth.

* * *

><p><strong>ADH-<strong> **Needed a break from Hattori here, more focused on the others, including Lin, cause things are gonna get tense with her. And no worries, there will be much more Bolin and Opal in the upcoming chapters!**

**PipTook- For those who are wondering about the shipping, it is Korrasami. When we started writing this (I've been writing the more romantic scenes), it was going to be Makorra, but the ending of the show happened and we changed it... except for the fact that Korra has been living with Mako. So if it seems a bit Makorrasmi, it's probably because I am a Makorra shipper originally. Now, I've been writing the scenes between Korra and Mako as platonic. I have personally told male friends that I love them simply out of being the fact that we are friends so my personal touch is reflecting between Mako and Korra. I hope this clears up any confusion. I'm not quite sure what fdffre meant in their review so I'm clearing any possible confusion. I hope it helps at least…**

**ADH- Personally, I was gonna roll with the Makorra pairing, cause I normally don't give much about the pairings, but then Korrasami happened in show... and I can see it happening. Remember seeing when the two first met and then all the pics and stories and I'm like "... yeah, I can see that happening." And now I'm all for it, it works.**


	11. Chapter 10

Something felt wrong. She had a feeling and it brought her to the docks of Air Temple Island. The young airbending master decided to snoop around, curious as to what this feeling was about. It was a dark feeling for sure. She knew that much. It reminded her of Vaatu.

Jinora snuck onto the ship. It was quiet. Usually there were bushels of sailors running about on deck as they transported people to and from the island along with delivering supplies. She did not see any. Jinora continued to track the aura. It brought her further into the ship and she had to move a heavy iron door to see what was inside. Then her jaw dropped.

Before her was who she assumed was the Equalist Butcher. His look matched what the radio had said. Well, everything but the man's strange haircut but people got those all the time.

"Please, don't do it Hattori. I'm sorry, please forgive me. That was in the past."

"Fuck your sorry. Fuck the past. And most of all, FUCK YOU!" He shouted before grabbing the man's neck and ripping his throat out.

The airbender turned away just in time. She peeked through the door again and saw that the killer had a gentle smile on his face as he kept his eyes on the bleeding out man before looking at her.

"I'm not going to harm you. You remind me of my daughter, just that she was an earthbender and not airbender," he spoke as his non bloody hand went into his jacket, "I have something to ask of you. Actually, two things... I know, I'm getting to it... Well first, can you deliver this to a woman that works in the markets of Republic City? Also, tell the lovely Avatar that our date isn't over. I want her to meet me in the Southern Water Tribe. Wait; let me add something to it."

Jinora was hesitant at first about taking the letter but she gave in after giving him a glaring look. Taking the envelope from the one-eyed killer, Jinora kept her eyes on Hattori.

"She will stop you and end your madness."

"Yeah yeah, I've heard it all before..." He said, preparing to exit the room when he stopped and turned around. "Oh and you guys have such a lovely island... not a threat or anything, you really do, bye!" He said, leaving.

The airbender sighed before coming back into the room. She gave the dead man a sympatric look before closing his eyes.

"Go in peace, Mister. You did not deserve such a horrific end."

Then she opened the letter and read it.

_Dear Vuong,_

_So, I'm pretty sure you've heard about the murders and that I'm also a killer and all that news. Well, that's true. Right now, I'm pretty sure you've been freaking out about almost going out on a date with a serial killer. I kind of don't blame you there. But believe me, those I have killed, they were not good people. Spirits, one of them had her boys kidnap young girls and forced them into the sex trade. And also was one of the eight people who ruined my life... the others I killed just happened to be a bunch of dumb criminal douche bags who tried fucking with me._

_Anyway, the point I'm trying to get across here is that despise everything you heard about me... which is all true, I am crazy and a killer, not going to deny that, everything between us, those two times we talked, wishing to go on that date with you and such, I did mean that. You are a nice woman, very nice, and pretty too. But, well, shit happens, not good with these kind of things. I am damned, very much so. But I wanted to tell you my side and tell you that I wished things didn't end up like this. But, good news in a sense is, I left two things for you in this envelope, which I hope the girl I had drop this off didn't open it and take the stuff._

_-Hattori Hanzo_

_P.S._

_... Also my sword got broke by the Avatar... So kinda can't show it off to your dad._

"This could almost top one of my romance books," she told herself before heading off the boat.

She snuck into the stables to get Pepper ready to go. While she knew she would get in trouble for this, the romantic in her wanted to meet the woman who fell in love with the psycho killer.

* * *

><p>Korra was pacing a hallway of the Sato mansion. She was left alone while Asami went to work. It took some convincing that she would not break or burn anything but she managed to get Asami out the door. Now, she was waiting impatiently for a phone call from the police station telling her that they had found Hattori. She turned around again, for the twenty-seventh time before jumping out of her wits.<p>

"Spirits Jinora! Why don't you give me a warning when you use your spirit thing?" she said getting out of a fighting stance.

"Sorry Korra but this is urgent. That serial killer you're after is leaving for the Southern Water Tribe. I was somehow drawn to his spiritual energy. He had killed another man."

The Avatar's fist slammed down onto a table, "SON OF A..." She muttered before sighing and looking back up. "Can you please reach Mako and Bolin? Have them meet me at the Spirit Portal in the old city."

Jinora nodded before disappearing. Korra then reached for a phone to call and inform Asami of her sudden trip. She had to convince Asami to stay in the city and it was not easy but the inventor finally agreed that she would stay behind.

That did not stop Asami from coming to say good bye. She met with the two brothers, Opal and Korra before they went through the portal. As much as Korra tried to assure her that she was appreciated, she understood that she would not be able to help against fighting Hattori on the ground. Asami would, however, work on a project with Varrick before they would fly south.

* * *

><p>Jinora finally reached the block where Hattori wanted her to go. She walked into the unfamiliar store and stood as she looked around. A voice rang out from the back and a woman came out.<p>

"Ms. Vuong?" Jinora started. The woman nodded and the airbender continued, "I have something from you from a Hattori Hanzo."

She held the letter out for the surprised storekeeper to take. The woman frowned as she read it and then thanked her. Jinora said her goodbyes before leaving the city to head home.

As she left, Vuong still could not believe the man who she thought was just a kind swordsman was a violent sociopath. She could tell from the letter that he did mean what he said about the two, but that did not change the fact he was a murderer.

It was then she looked inside the envelope and saw the two items he had placed inside of it. One was a large amount of Yuan and two small bottles of alcohol, the kind one would find in a small bar. One bottle would amount to a shot.

It is then Vuong realized Hattori had just sent her that drink he promised her.

* * *

><p>The announcement of the train arriving at the next station awoke Lin. She had taken a well deserved rest and was leaving the Republic Station train.<p>

Still clad in her police uniform, she exited the train and looked around the station. She saw a stand selling some clothes. Thankfully, there were some just her size and she bought some. She entered the restroom before coming out minutes later, clad in a green vest, thin fabric black short sleeve short, green pants and her normal metal boots as she knew the swamps would be hot. Thankfully, the clothes she bought were loose.

Stuffing her old uniform into her bag after metal bending it smaller, she sighed to herself, knowing which direction to go as she began walking alone. She was in Zaofu and was in search of her sister. Normally Lin would not bother Suyin but this was something they both needed to speak to their mother about.

Suyin was difficult to convince to come but Lin managed. She caught her younger sister up to what was going on in Republic City as they took another train towards a town near the border of the swamp.

After a couple hours of walking and a moment of resting their feet, they sensed the ground rumble. The sisters knew from experience what was causing it.

"You know, if you knew we were coming, you could have met us at the station Chief..." Lin commented.

"True..." That familiar voice rang as Lin and Suyin turned around, seeing her mother stand behind her having come out of the ground. "But just wanted to make sure, just in case." Toph smirked before looking up. "So, you came all this way from Republic City and Zaofu. What, they force you to take a day off, Lin?"

"Not exactly. I'm no longer Chief of Police." Lin answered to which Toph made an odd look of surprise on her face.

"What? For what?"

"The Equalist Butcher escaped from prison, killing two prisoners and injuring some guards and Korra in the process."

Both held their silence before Toph responded. "I'm sorry to hear about that Lin." She said soft tone in her voice.

"Thank you mother."

"So, shall we head to my place? Seems like you both have some stuff to ask me."

Suyin nodded as they began walking. "Indeed we do..."

After an hour, they had arrived in Toph's makeshift home in a cave as both prepared to make a small meal. "So, you came to ask me some questions, yes?" Toph asked with her back turned to which her daughter nodded. "Right, so, ask away."

Lin seemed hesitant which Toph noticed but she managed to ask before her mom responded. "Well, remember when I mentioned the Equalist Butcher?"

"Yeah, I heard about him from some tourists wanting to see the vines. They say he's some kind of evil spirit."

"Close, but that's not I wanted to ask you about... well, we want to know." Lin answered to which Toph snorted a bit.

"Okay then. What is it you want to ask me about him? I don't know anything about him." The master Earthbender noted before Lin shook her head.

"He says you do. He even name dropped you."

"That so? What's his name?"

Lin seemed to hesitate again. She was not sure if she should tell her mother the name of her possible son. But she knew Toph and Suyin would know she was hiding something. "Hattori Hanzo the Eighth."

At that moment, it fell deathly quiet between the three. So much so, they could hear a pin drop in the mud. Lin couldn't see it, but Toph's eyes had widened at hearing the name. "He says he's your son."

Both Suyin and Toph turned their heads to her.

"We would know if we had a brother, Lin." Suyin glanced at Toph, "Wouldn't we?"

Toph however didn't answer, but kept the wide eyed look on her face. "Guess not as Hanzo said he was born a year or two before the both of us." She said eyes focused on her mother. "Is he telling the truth, is he our brother... Are you his mother?"

* * *

><p><strong>ADH- ... I got nothing else to say, 'cept oh snap.<strong>

**PipTook- And we're done writing this one out. *high-five* Now for last edits before I will be posting it every day until it's completely up. Enjoy!**


	12. Chapter 11

As news of the next murder rang throughout the city, Hattori knew that the Airbending girl had to have told everyone about his new appearance, making things a little more hard for him. He didn't care. He was so close, oh so close to his goal.

Staying close to a supply barge that sent supplies to a South Pole Station, Hattori had stuck around the pier, waiting to hear when a boat would be sent to the island. After three hours of waiting and three hours of the Shadow Spirit prodding at him, he heard what he needed to hear, making the former swordsman smirk.

"Perfect..." He said, his voice seeming to echo more with the voice of the Shadow Spirit's, but he didn't notice it at all.

Jumping into a nearby shadow of a crate, Hattori then popped up onto the ship, hiding around the supply area. "Now we play the-"

"Hey there!" A voice rang behind Hattori, interrupting his thoughts as a light shined on him, making him turn around and see two guards looking at him. "How did you get on here?"

"Ah... Don't remember. I must have drank too much?" Hattori tried slurring, acting the role as the two guards looked at each other.

"Alright, let's get you off the boat. Don't give us any problems. There won't be any need for violence, got it?" The other guard, taller than the other, said to which Hattori shrugged.

"Alright..."

As the two guards got closer to Hattori and shined their lights closer at him, it was then they caught the sight of the one-eyed man's now red eye and now ghoulish looking eye wound.

"Oh SHIT, IT'S-" The short guard realized as did the other.

He was about to take out a club and whack Hattori over the head... Only for Hattori to suddenly drive a shadow blade into his throat, silencing him as the other guard gasped in shock.

"HEY, STOP!" The taller guard yelled as Hattori turned to him, throwing the dead guard into him against a wall and hit a switch. Turning on the switch seemed to turn on a nearby buzz saw table they had to cut imported meat for the South Pole, for the right price of course.

"Ah, AH!"" The guard screamed getting his dead partner off of him before feeling two hands grab him by the shoulder, dragging him to the machine. He realized what was going to happen to him.

"No! NO! PLEASE, STOP IT!" He cried out before bring thrown face first into the buzz saw, but managed to stop himself, face close to the rotating blades as Hattori kept pushing him closer no matter how hard he tried. "Please, PLEASE, I GOT A FAMILY!"

"Yeah, well, SO DID I." Hattori growled, the Shadow Spirit's voice echoing more before finally shoving hard enough to make the guard's head go face first right straight into the buzz saw, causing blood to burst all over the place as the blade cut through the flesh and bone before finally throwing the corpse off. Hattori was left breathing hard before his eye changed back to its normal color and a look of shock washed over his face. "Oh shit..."

He gave a look at himself, how blood drenched he was, then looked at the other corpse with the hole in his neck. "Oh SHIT!" he said, going over to the switch and turning it off, seeing the calm blue of the guards vanish. "Spirits, why did I do that?!"

Hattori looked at a nearby mirror and saw the Shadow Spirit look at him serious before it snickered a bit. "What the fuck's so funny?! I KILLED SOME INNOCENT GUYS!" He yelled at the spirit.

"And if they got you off the boat, they would have made you miss the boat to the South Pole, where... what's his name, Loka is?" It asked.

"Well yes, but I could have waited for another boat, or heck, slipped away into the shadows and waited till the ship arrived. But I did not have to kill these guys!" Hattori retorted, freaking out.

"Well, why didn't you?" The Shadow Spirit asked, clearly knowing the answer as it looked into Hattori's eye, seeing how he didn't have an answer. "You could have spared them; you knew they were innocent, so why didn't you knock 'em out?"

Hattori couldn't answer.

"Hattori Hanzo, you came back from the dead to get revenge. You should know revenge always comes with a price. And if you have to off one or two random guys who could ruin your chance, then so be it. You need to squeeze some lemons to make lemonade." The Shadow Spirit explained as Hattori had to think it over, nodding as it did make some sense, even know he wasn't a fan of it.

* * *

><p>Jackets. Somehow, Korra had forgotten how cold it was in the South Pole and they were paying dearly for forgetting them, especially Bolin. The poor man did not have firebending to keep him warm and Opal had her airbending magic that kept the cold away somehow.<p>

Their quick journey in the Spirit World was not as colorful as Korra had hoped, nor was it gloomy like the last time Bolin and Mako followed her in to stop Unalaq. It felt troubled and it was probably because Korra was slightly worried as she wondered if Hattori had beaten them to the Water Tribe city before they got there.

At least seeing Bolin getting tackled and hugged by an odd, but cute blue bunny mouse looking spirit that mewed did give the four a well deserved chuckle.

"Alright, we have to hurry to the city," Korra started with her plan, "I'll move us along the snow. Opal, can you create a void? Mako, we'll need some warm air."

Opal and Mako nodded before taking their places.

"What can I do, Korra?" Bolin asked, looking in between freezing and over-excited.

Korra smiled, "Just keep warm. We're going to try and get to the city as fast as I can skate us by."

"Okay then, moral support." Bolin nodded as they began moving along the snow.

It was, of course, a little hard at first, but after a few bumps and bruises, they managed to get control just fine. Korra had gotten lost a couple of times from the harsh winds blowing around them. People from the Water Tribe city stopped to see them come into town. Korra dropped backwards in the snow, panting hard from the exercise. She also complained about her hand hurting as she disappeared in the snow.

"Wow. That was fun, Korra. We'll have to do that again." Bolin cheered as he crossed his arms to keep his hands warm in his armpits.

"Easy for you to say." Korra said sitting up. Snow was piled on her head and face.

A few of the men came running from the city, asking them if they needed help. They mentioned jackets and were swiftly given them. Then Korra walked to the palace. Her friends were led to another room to warm up and take care of their needs.

* * *

><p>She knocked on the door before entering her father's office. He was currently speaking with one of the Tribe Elders. When they spotted her peek her head in, the elder bowed and dismissed himself with a smile on his face. Tonraq then stood and bounded over, quickly hugging her.<p>

"There's my little polar bear-dog cub." He grinned, "It's about time you come home, although I would have liked to have known first. This is a business trip, isn't it?"

"It is." She said, squeezing him back. She would pull back to continue, "We have word that a murderous spirit is heading down here."

Tonraq finally had a chance to get a good look at her, "You look like you've been in a nasty fight."

"Nothing like having to fight with three broken fingers and a blow to the head." Korra grinned, "I'm fine. You should see the thing I was fighting."

"Well, I'm just glad you're alright. How are the others?"

"They're doing well."

The Chief nodded, "What do you need me to do."

The Avatar grinned as she began to lay out a plan.

* * *

><p>The elder Bei Fong let out a deep breath, signaling that she was ready to speak. Toph made a seat and promptly sat on it. A finger went to her nose as she began to speak.<p>

"Well, if he says that he is, then there is a good chance he is."

"So it is true then? You were..." Lin began before being interrupted.

"I'm not going to go into details. I think you are both smart enough to understand what happened."

"Still, how come you never told anyone about this? Heck, how did Aang, Katara and the others not find out?" Su asked.

"Would you want to tell anyone after the world believes that you are the greatest earthbender on the Earth? I could not look weak. I was the Chief of Police. Men shivered at the thought of hearing my name!"

"Oh, so that's it? Pride got in the way?" Lin responded. "Look, I understand you were ashamed of what happened, but you're not the only one this kind of stuff happens to! It can happen to anyone!"

"Look, you came to me for answers. If you are going to get upset over this, then that is your problem Lin. What happened in the past happened. You both might not have seen it, but I had issues. Did it ever occur to you why you both had different fathers? I had trust issues with men who were not my closest friends." Toph then let out a huff, "The water is about to boil Su."

Suyin stood to finish making them tea. Everything was silent between the three till Lin gave a soft sigh.

"Mother, I truly understand why you chose to hide this fact, but how come you didn't tell Aang, Katara, any of them? They would have been supportive. They would have understood..."

Su brought the three cups of tea to them, taking one for herself. "Lin, be a bit more supportive."

"It is fine, Su. She has the right to ask. It... just wasn't easy." Toph said trying not to get teary eyed. "I was young and dumb. I never expected it to happen. I didn't know how they would have reacted."

Lin nodded before putting her arm around her mother's back, giving her a hug. "... It's... okay..." She said still unsure, trying to comfort her, trying being the keyword. "Still, I wish that you could have told Su and me."

Toph snorted, "Would you have really believed me if I did? You were both deep in your own issues."

Both Lin and Su both gave a little snort of their own, copying their mother a bit.

"You have a point." Su noted, smiling.

"Indeed." Lin said, though her smile was smaller. "From what Hanzo had said about him, his grandfather was quite a kind person. I looked into some files and called other police stations around the Earth Kingdom. He died around fifteen years ago."

"What a pity. He was a good man." The blind woman said softly.

"From what the files said, he went peacefully." Lin said.

"Well, it sounds like our brother won't go peacefully." Su noted after sipping her tea.

"You may consider him your brother, but he isn't mine." Lin said with a look of weary hatred on her face as she looked at her cup. "He may share the same mother, but he is a psychopath and not my brother. He had done too much to Republic City and the Police Force to earn any sympathy."

"Just what caused him to... well, do all these murders? It can't be the way he was raised. Hattori the Seventh and his wife from what I heard cared for him deeply." Toph noted, still surprised that her son was the infamous killer on the loose.

"It was all for revenge on a few Equalist buddies that killed his wife and daughter. Though, Korra had been involved because of some dark spirit." Lin rubbed her forehead as she spoke.

"Wait... Dark spirit?" Toph asked, the mention of 'dark spirit' catching her ears. "You mean-"

"The Shadow Spirit, yes." Lin answered.

"Oh my..." Toph said, pale eyes gone wide. "Korra has to find a way to save him, that... thing within him, is nothing but pure evil. It corrupts!"

"Right." Lin deadpanned, "I haven't noticed. I don't think Korra has any plans to save Hattori. He threatened to paint Republic City red with her blood."

"That wasn't him talking." Toph noted, shaking her head.

"Right, tell that to Korra who now has three broken fingers from this monster." Lin snorted.

"Well, some of it is. From what Aang told me after looking into it, the Shadow Spirit tempts those who seeks something. It offers them whatever they want in return for becoming their host. But what the host doesn't know is that the closer they get to their objective, the more it takes corrupts their body, mind and soul, driving the host insane till..." She stopped leaving both sisters confused.

"Till what?" Su asked.

"It has full control and once it has full control of its host, the Shadow Spirit is practically unstoppable and will unleash chaos." Toph answered.

* * *

><p>On the boat headed to the South Pole, Hattori had overheard as he hid that the trip would take at least another day. Deciding he needed some long overdue sleep, Hattori closed his eye ready to sleep out the rest of the trip.<p>

As he slept, the shadows around him, sometimes vibrating, would stop in place, not moving an inch, for a while, all seemed normal.

Inside Hattori's dream, one thing came to mind. His wife's smile as her long brown hair flowed in the wind as her and Hattori in the past as rode a train. Then a small girl looking similar to his wife, but had Hattori's eyes came up, jumping on the two, making them laugh.

Then violent red flashes cut through them, replacing his family with their corpses, staining Hattori in blood as demonic laughter ran out as Hattori screamed, eye and ear being violently damaged as he screamed and burned as he combusted in flames.

Then he saw the red eyes as flashes of what its owners showed him about the woman it claimed was his mother. But then those red eyes burst into Hattori, making him feel like he was in the water, burst out of a pool of water, damaged and angry as he held his katana in hand.

Then flashes of violence of those he killed came by along with his encounter with the Avatar started going by fast before the last murder he committed before he screamed and laughed evilly as shadows engulfed him, turning into a form of... something as flesh fell off, laughing, stained in blood.

"WAKE UP!"

Hattori's eye suddenly opened up as he was sweating, seeing the shadows vibrate around him. Then he heard a laugh, looking at the mirror, at the almost mirror image of him.

"Someone had a bad nightmare?" The Spirit said to him.

"Fuck you..." Was all Hattori growled, standing up, seeing out the porthole and saw the ship was close to the South Pole piers.

"Almost there..."

"I know."

* * *

><p><strong>ADH- <strong>**So, that's how that happened. While I'll admit that having such a thing happen to Toph is... well, bad... "Bad" bad I mean, reason I thought of her being Hattori's mother is due to... well, rape can happen to anyone, regardless of who they are. It's a thing that regretfully happens no matter how hard we try to stop it... if it makes anyone happy, I don't got it in me to write a actual rape scene, I'll write violently gory death scenes, but I'm not that evil.**


	13. Chapter 12

Hattori had looked around the ship, sneaking around. None of the shipmates noticed the two corpses and he sighed; he glad they did not. He still felt bad for killing them. They both were good men. He knew they were just innocent men doing their jobs and he violently murdered them.

But he had to. They would have gave away his position and make things harder for him. Hattori was so close to Loka, he could sense him. He knew so only cause the Shadow Spirit would not shut up about it.

Once the ship stopped at the pier, Hattori got out of his hiding spot and began his way exiting the vessel slipping into the shadows incase a shipmate or two came by. Soon enough, he was in front of the exit door.

"Well then... let's do this." Hattori said to himself opening the door and walking out to the deck, feeling the cold weather of the South Pole.

Looking behind him, Hattori cupped his hands together and breathed into them.

"Good thing I wore a lot of clothes..." He said to himself, looking around for any more shipmates, looking up a bit. "Yeah, maybe should have brought some gloves." He said, turning around...

... Only to see what looked to be the whole Southern Water Tribe army standing at the docks. Their leader alongside the Avatar, the one cop friend of hers... and two others; one Earthbender and the other an Airbender he did not know.

"Ah... how the heck did you guys get here?"

"Spirit portal..." Bolin yelled out, ready to fight as was all the others.

"Really? I never thought about using that." Hattori noted before looking at Korra and giving her a sly smile. "Oh, hey officer!" he yelled out, spotting Mako who shook his head before returning his gaze to Korra.

"Hello Korra. Good to see you again. Sorry for the broken fingers, but you did break my grandfather's sword!"

He pointed out as he walked slowly to the ramp off the ship to the pier to which Korra did not respond. She kept a determined face ignoring, unlike the others, the almost ghoulish look of Hattori.

"Like the new haircut?" The Shadowbender asked flowing his hand through his mohawk. "I have you to thank for that."

Korra kept her eyes on the madman, walking a bit towards him.

"Do you really want to know?" She asked to which Hattori shrugged.

"Yeah, I always ask women what they think of my new hairdos. It's kinda an odd mental tick of mine!"

This resulted in a small ball of fire blasting at Hattori, who ducked under it as it hit the metal wall behind him. Korra smirking as smoke came from her fingers.

"You missed a spot in the middle of your head."

"HEY! That was unprovoked!" Hattori yelled out feeling offended. "Least let me be-" he rambled before noticing the one female airbender with Korra, Mako and Bolin, confused a bit at how she looked somewhat familiar. "HEY! You, the Airbender broad. Do I know you? You look familiar. You know Lin Bei Fong? Or her mom?"

"Yes! My name is Opal Bei Fong. I know exactly who you are and don't call me a broad!" Opal yelled out angrily, knowing full well about Hattori's claims about her grandmother.

"NO WAY!" The Shadowbender however laughed at this. "WOW! Odd family reunion here. I'm sorry about calling you a broad. I'm your Uncle Hattori, nice to meet you!... So, never met your mom... well, my sister before, what should I-"

"That's enough Hattori!" Korra yelled out, wanting to shut him up. "You are surrounded! I'll give you this one final warning: surrender peacefully..." She turned to her father who nodded before turning back to Hattori. "Or we will be forced to attack with and kill if we have to."

But then Hattori laughed evilly, the Shadow Spirit's voice echoing in his voice ringing out more as all the shadows in the area, including those belonging to the soldiers vibrated.

"I'm sorry, that is kinda funny..." He said, shaking his head. "I know these guys will go for it... but what about you Korra? If I recall correctly, you've never killed anyone before... you think you got what it takes?"

Everyone turned to Korra, whom was not bothered at this.

"I have already made up my mind about you and the shadow spirit." Korra said with a small voice, but loud enough to hear as she lowered her head.

She paused before raising her head up, raising her fist up.

"But that doesn't matter. All that does is stopping you, whether you give in or force my hand. So again, surrender or else!"

Hearing those words did get to Hattori, who nodded.

"Avatar Korra, I'm not gonna stop till all those who ruined my life is dead and if I have to kill you, I will... But know this..." Hattori said walking down the ramp, his lone eye focused on her. "You are the single nicest person I've ever met... And if I do kill you, I'm sorry."

Korra gave him a smile, "You can always change your mind and become a sword maker."

"Not until I'm done." He said, allowing the shadow spirit come through his voice.

Mako turned to the back of the formation. He cupped his hands and gave out a shout.

"Now!"

Several spot lights came on and were directed towards the deranged man. Water from around Hattori began to circle up as the waterbenders tried to capture him before he could leave the docks. The shadowbender covered his eye before using what shadows he could to transport himself to the lights. Using the cable to one of the lights, he wrapped it around the maintaining soldier's neck before dropping him below. Hattori then smashed the light. He was about to jump to the next one until the metal post he was on lit up. The lightning bolt danced across the beams as Hattori was shocked.

He made the daring move and jumped to the next one, repeating his actions. The soldier on the next light iced one of the attacker's hands to the post before feeling something tug at his leg. He too was tossed aside.

After he made the jump to the last light, the metal from the post wrapped around his waist. Korra had propelled herself from the ground to fight him. She spun around him before kicking back at him with fire. Each time Hattori tried to get out of the light, Korra would spin the light. Giving up, Hattori jumped from the post.

As Hattori fell, he saw one of the nearby ships had a shadow cast close to him and waved his hand in its direction, causing a large wave of shadows to burst under him, falling into it.

"Where is he?" Tonraq yelled out, spear in hand as one guard in control of one of the spotlights looked around before Hattori burst lunged out of the shadows. He tackled the soldier and bashing his head against the light, breaking it, and then jumped into another shadow.

"Fall back to the city. Do not let that creep enter our homes!" the Chief shouted.

Mako, Bolin and Opal met up with Korra.

"Now what?" the detective asked.

Korra turned to Opal, "Try to keep an overview of the city. We'll try to keep up."

The airbender nodded. Korra grabbed her shoulder before she could leave.

"Be careful. I do not know what he might do to you since you are family."

"I'm a Bei Fong. I think I'll be fine with whatever happens." She said before Bolin hugged her tightly.

Korra then turned to the brothers as Opal left.

"We're searching street by street for him. He cannot find this last man."

"Well, how are we going find the guy? There are how many non-benders here?" Bolin asked, looking around.

Mako shook his head, "We don't need to find the man Hattori's looking for. We just need to stop Hattori."

"If we can somehow find both, let's do it." Korra finally spoke up, "We can't afford to let him kill his final target. Now, let's get moving. We're already behind."

The two brothers nodded before they began rushing into the area as did some soldiers, looking for the killer and his target.

* * *

><p>Korra looked up to the sky, searching for Opal. After catching sight of the airbender, she led the brothers into the city. They checked street by street, searching for Hattori. Opal pointed to a street and they rushed to get there.<p>

"I don't know if I'm ready to fight this guy." Bolin spoke up as they slammed against a wall.

Korra peeked around the corner as Mako answered.

"You'll be fine Bo. There's too many of us for him to even touch you."

Korra's left hand lit up in flame as she shot it down the street. Ice and what stone that was under their feet was also sent hurling towards Hattori.

The four saw the flames burn.

"Did you get him?" Bolin asked curiously. He having held a few stones in his hand, prepared just in case.

"I don't-" Korra began to say, but was interrupted by Opal's voice ringing out above him.

"He's still standing!" she called from the rooftops.

It was then they saw a shape slowly walk from the flames and the lone red eye glowing bright.

"Oh man..." Mako said as they saw Hattori come out, ignoring the one flame or two burning his sleeve and the back of his jacket.

"Nice shot..." Hattori said. "My turn!"

He yelled out, stomping on the ground and sending a blast of shadows from a nearby wall at the three, making them jump back as Hattori looked up and raised his hand up, making tentacles shoot up at Opal, making her curve out of the way of them as he made his escape.

The airbender then run towards the edge of the building and took off again to find his trail.

* * *

><p>Due to the news of the Shadowbender coming to the South Pole and what the Avatar and her friends had planned to do with the army, many civilians had to be evacuated from the area to a nearby village till everything had claimed down. But some had refused to leave their homes even in the face of chaos, including one man, who had made his own wife, kids and grandchildren to head to safety without answering why he would not come.<p>

He did not answer, just gave his goodbyes, knowing full well he could not escape death. So the man, in his mid-sixties, brown and grey long hair with a small bald spot, he took out a small bottle of sake and two glasses, sitting on a chair at a table, waiting. Then the door knocked, he knew who was at the door.

"It's open Hattori..." The man said to which the door opened, showing it was indeed Hattori standing there, eye focused on him. But the man wasn't bothered by the frightening sight of a man he helped murdered now back from the dead, set to get revenge. "Five years."

"Indeed..." Hattori said coming up to the table, looking at the table and the drinks before looking at the man he knew was an Equalist. "Five years it has been Loka." He pointed at the drinks.

"You know, Asuka offered me some water before she tried to have her goons waste me. My hand still stings from getting stabbed."

"I heard about that." The man, now known as Loka, said, giving a bit of a smile. "But unlike her, I'm not here to distract you or anything like that." He explained, pouring himself a glass. "I know what you have become. I heard it on the news and all, what you have done to the others. Asuka must have REALLY pissed you off to make you rip her face off with your bare hands."

"I have no idea." Hattori said taking another chair and put it near Loka, taking a glass and held it out as his former partner poured the contents of the bottle in his glass. "I must say; for someone who knows they're gonna die, you are taking this quite well."

Loka nodded, a sense of regret etched into his face. "After you and your family's deaths, we all tried to go along with Amon's plans. We were close and then the Avatar exposed him for the fraud he was. Then we were all scattered, Hiroshi was the only one arrested while me and the other six managed to slip away and gone our own ways."

"I know what the others were up to. What about you? I know for a fact you're from the North Pole and not here. So why's a known Equalist taking residence in the Avatar's home turf?" Hattori asked to which caused Loka to let out a small chuckle.

"I was only BORN in the North Pole, but my family has been in the South Pole for years since around Sozin's reign..." He said before nodding. "After the whole deal in Republic City, it... opened my eyes, showed how much of a damned fool I was. Heck, I even forgot that my own family had some waterbenders, even my wife. Then I've been slowly losing my memory for the last two years, so I've been trying to make up for lost time, making up for past mistakes." Loka said, sipping his sake.

"And I bet I know your one biggest mistake." Hattori asked, also sipping his sake.

"Correct..." Loka answered. "Of all the memories I haven't been forgetting, it's been that one night... where I... you know-"

"Stabbed my daughter in the back and slit my wife's throat." Hattori said, his eye glowing red for a brief moment to which Loka nodded sadly.

"Yes, I've tried to come clean about that; maybe find their corpses along with yours and give you all a proper burial. But your family burnt away to ash while your body couldn't be found in the water." Loka explained, sipping his sake more as he stood up. "I still have nightmares of that night."

"So do I, just from a different perspective." Hattori noted, also standing up.

"I don't blame you... Once I heard your name on the news as the new Shadowbender on the loose, I knew once you found and killed the others... you'd come for me, so I made sure my family was safe, leave so they did have to see what you'd do to me."

"Smart move Loka..." Hattori nodded, putting his hand into his coat pocket, placing it on the table, looking into Loka's ready eyes with his own eye. "Smart move indeed."

He finished, eye turning red before taking his hand out of the pocket, suddenly slashing diagonally. Loka gasped in utter pain as he saw the straight razor in Hattori's hand, then the huge gash on his chest, shoulder and a small part on the side of neck, he dropped to the ground, open eyes looking at Hattori who watched the sight.

Closing his eye, Hattori breathed hard, in his mind remembering his family... before opening it once more, but the red eye had some yellow around it and a wicked smile stretched upon his face.

"Finally..." But it wasn't Hattori talking... it was the Shadow Spirit.

Opal soon came crashing through the window. She eyes went from staring nervously at Hattori to despair as she saw the man on the floor. She looked at the strange man again with determination. The young Bei Fong then attacked first. Hattori disappeared into a shadow before reappearing behind Opal and tossed her out of his way. The shadowbender then left the room.

A weak voice called out, begging for help. Opal glanced in the direction of the moan to see that the man was still alive and was grabbing for anything. The airbender then got up to her knees before rushing to put pressure on the man's wounds.

* * *

><p>Korra and the brothers rounded a corner before halting in their tracks. They no longer needed to search for the murderer as he stood before them. The man's eye glowed red with rage.<p>

"You are too late, Avatar." The spirit spoke through Hattori, "I have won and now I will paint your home city with your blood. I will hang you above the door to the palace so that the entire tribe will see that you have failed to protect them."

The shadows soon betrayed Korra and the brothers. Mako and Bolin were tossed aside before Hattori attacked the Avatar. Korra felt her limbs sudden pull as the shadows slithered around. She fought to keep control of her limbs before the shadows were interrupted. Bolin had come to her rescue and tore her free from the spirit's grasp.

Hattori then brought out his straight razor and slashed at the earthbender, cutting his cheek. Bolin staggered back before melting the ground between them. Mako then jumped in and sent a volley of flames towards the man. Both brothers were then caught and tossed aside again.

The man then turned his focus back to the Avatar. With the brothers incapacitated, he would finally try to destroy her.

"Come here Avatar. I am not done playing with you." The Shadow Spirit hissed out.

He grabbed her arm with a shadow tentacle and pulled her from the ground towards him. Korra struggled within his grasp. He then punched her hard in the face, causing a noticeable bruise to form. The Avatar sneered before being tossed away. Korra gathered her senses to control her fall. As soon as she touched the ground, Hattori was upon her with another attack.

With her left hand, Korra made ice spikes in an attempt to protect herself. Her counter barely scraped Hattori.

"Little bitch," he hissed again, "You think you can stop me with that?"

"Hattori, don't you see what you are doing?" Korra spoke after rolling away.

"No use talking to him. Hattori's not in control. Not anymore."

Korra growled in frustration as she got up. She rubbed her face before panicking from his next attack. She scrambled away from his attempt to grab her, accidently pulling her right arm from its socket between the spikes. The Avatar cried out as it was reinjured but she ran. The buildings on all sides of her began to explode as the shadow tentacles began to rip the walls down. Snow, wood and plaster rained down on her as she ran. Hattori soon appeared in front of her and she bolted down the next road. She was then bumped and thrown into a building.

"No matter where you run, I WILL FIND YOU!" The Shadow Spirit's voice rang as she tried to run away again, if only to find a different area to fight.

Korra then saw Hattori come closer to her, the glowing red eye, the charred skull and the wicked smile on his face.

"Hattori, listen to me; you have to stop this!" Korra yelled out, getting into a fire bending pose or as much as one as she could.

But all she received was a wicked laugh.

"Sorry, not going to happen..." The Shadow Spirit spoke as it seemed Hattori's body seemed to transform with each step, as if the Shadows was engulfing his body.

The slithering shadows quickly approached her as she began to wildly attack them with her good arm. She put all of her effort towards trying to keep the shadows away. Her feet then were pulled from under her. The thought of being pulled apart entered her mind.

"Let her go!" she heard from the end of the street as Mako let out a bolt of lightning.

Bolin stood on the other end of the street and began to send rocks and boulders towards the spirit but then the Spirit dropped down into the shadows, vanishing, confusing the brothers as Hattori popped up behind Mako, kneeing him in the stomach and slammed his fists into his back as he bent over before throwing him into a nearby shadow.

"NO!" Bolin yelled out, bending the small stones into a lava weapon and threw it at the spirit, who caught it with a shadow tentacle with ease.

"Lavabending. I must admit, impressive." The Shadow Spirit said only Mako to be shot out of the shadow near Bolin, crashing into him and onto the ground.

"Now, if you don't mind..." He smirked, using the Shadow Tentacle to toss the brothers away, only for snow to form under them as they hit the ground.

"What the?!" He growled before turning and saw Korra holding her good hand up in its direction. "Oh, aren't you boys lucky."

"Hey, pay attention to me!" Korra shouted before lifting up a wall of snow between the brothers and the spirit.

She then, in anger burned off a part of her cast, leaving her fingers wrapped still. She pressed her shoulder into the wall, grunting in pain as she reset her shoulder. Fighting through the pain, she began her last effort to fight him. Hattori stepped back from the light of the fire before feeling his back against the wall. The Avatar stopped to slink ribbons of water around him. As they began to glow bright, Korra felt her ankles pull out from under her. Her focus left her as she was thrown through a window.

Korra was slow to get up. She just caught him come through the window before he grabbed her by her neck. She was lifted and brought back out towards the window. She kicked out before being held over the three story drop.

"Now, my vengeance against the Avatar can finally be finished. Farewell, Korra. You are a skilled warrior but even you cannot stop me."

Down below, Tonraq and a few of his soldiers finally caught up. They lowered the ice wall as the sight of Korra being held above them came into view.

"You cannot see from here but we have visitors. Too bad you cannot say your farewells." Hattori then grinned, "And the lack of air will prevent you from trying that fire trick from your lovely mouth."

The Spirit then drove Hattori's free fist into her stomach and kept punching her, causing her to grunt and groan at the punch. She coughed in pain before getting two more in the face as she coughed blood, hitting his face.

"I think that's enough. It is nice knowing you Avatar... Boy, you are a pretty one too. It's a shame." The Spirit laughed before suddenly a Shadow Tentacle wrapped around her throat as her eyes went wide. He pressed his fingers against his lips before pressing them against hers "Little something for everyone watching."

Then he let his hand go and she felt the tentacle still around her neck.

Korra normally could control the Avatar State. She was proud that she could fight without needing it but something deep inside of her exploded. The spirit stepped back as the Avatar combusted into flame. He covered his eye before being forced into the wall. Then the building exploded.


	14. Chapter 13

The slow moving airship limbered towards the Southern Water Tribe. Lin Bei Fong stood at the helm watching the horizon for signs off the snowy south. She had returned to Republic City just in time to catch the newly remodeled airship that Asami and Varrick were working on to help Korra with the shadow spirit.

She was hoping that they were not too late. With the way her mother spoke about the spirit, Lin was worried about how everyone was doing. By the way Asami was staring out the windows the former Chief of Police knew she was worried too.

Then came the sight of an explosion under the low clouds.

Lin and Asami leaned in closer to look. The city was just in sight which meant that the sight of a building going up in flames meant that it was a very large one. They looked at each other with the same look of surprise and worry.

"Wow, someone knows how to make an entrance." Varrick was heard further away, "That a new thing of hers?" He asked, surprised as they saw the fire at least get smaller.

"I do not think it is a good thing." Lin spoke softly, "Regardless of her past, Korra has been better with controlling her temper."

"Something bad is happening then." Asami added.

Varrick was still in awe, but shook it off a bit. "Zhu Li, my love, those babies ready to be turned on?" He asked into a microphone he had nearby the control?"

"They are ready." the microphone responded back.

"Good, now..." Varrick said, pressing some buttons as part of the ship opened up. "Be ready to do the thing..." He said as they got close, seeing two figures come out of the fire...

* * *

><p>Near the ruins of the house, many of the soldiers had to dodge or duck away from the explosion that ripped apart the building. Another flash of fire shot out from the ruins as the angered Avatar brought the shadow spirit and its host. They crashed into another building. The glimpse they got told them that Korra and Hattori were both hurting from burns and other wounds. Tonraq, the two brothers and the Water Tribe soldiers began to follow the fight out of the city.<p>

Korra delivered a hard punch or two onto the shadowbender, not caring if it hurt her hands doing so. She had to stop him.

But Hattori, or rather the Shadow Spirit, looking far worse than Korra gave a smile, readjusting his jaw which broke from one of the punches with ease.

"Nice one Avatar... now it's my turn!" He said, delivering a harsh right hook to her face.

Korra left the Avatar State for a moment. She staggered back as the pain from their fight finally caught up. Her entire body ached as she ripped what remained of her jacket. Then her eyes began to glow again and she attacked. Waving her hands around, she bended multiple icicles into the air and flung them at Hattori, who blocked it with a Shadow Wall. He then unleashed a shadow tentacle that slashed at Korra, but she blocked that herself with a wave of fire. Out of the flame came her next attack. She tackled him before throwing themselves out of a window. As they fell, she broke off to cushion her landing. As Hattori was doing the same with the shadow of the alley, she went another barrage of fire at him.

Hattori went to bend out a wave of Shadows and shot it at her. But she vanished into the snow and earth, making the possessed bender snarl in anger.

"Where are you? WHERE ARE YOU AVATAR?! He screamed. The Spirit's voice roared in anger before feeling a slight rumble as the snow he was standing on shot up, sending him into the air.

Korra followed as she clenched her hands, making the snow around him turn to water, then ice, covering Hattori up. Using a burst of air to propel herself into him, she drove her knee into the frozen madman, shattering the ice and hitting him in the spine. A bone or two was heard cracking upon impact.

The shadowbender cringed with pain as he lay on the ground. He could see her boots step closer before she kicked him and put her foot on his neck. He then elbowed her in the leg, causing a great pain to ring out of Korra's mouth as she fell to the ground. Hattori coughed up, some blood coming from his mouth.

"Little bitch! I'm gonna end you here and-"

He was interrupted as a burst of light engulfed the two as Hattori screamed an inhuman yell. Korra was confused for a moment before noticing the ship in the sky shining with several large spotlights in the sky. She then realized the possibility and bended the snow around her into water and lunged at the man.

She tossed him around until they found a wide open part of the city. The spirit then knew it was going to have a harder time trying to keep up with the Avatar and having to hide from the airship. He was running plans through his mind before Korra reminded him that she was still there.

Her eyes flashed again before she took a waterbending stance. Hattori was soon frozen up to his neck with ice before Korra stood close by.

"Your reign of terror ends here Shadow Sprit. No longer will you haunt this world and this man." Korra spoke but it was not her speaking. It was Raava.

It was suddenly déjà vu to Korra but the roles swapped. The Avatar's neck bent haphazardly before the light spirit herself came out to rip the Shadow Spirit out. As Raava returned to her, Korra then took back control and tossed the spirit away from Hattori.

Korra gave a hard deep breath. It was over she thought then she notices something. She saw Hattori still breathing but he was not engulfed in shadows like before. Now he was his normal self, looking badly injured and bleeding in the ice around him.

Before she could check on him, a voice rang out loud enough for the whole South Pole to hear.

"Oh AVATAR..."

She froze in place. It was impossible. The Shadow Spirit was still before her.

"You don't know when to just leave, do you?" Korra spoke as she flexed her hands.

"Oh, I've told you, I'm eternal..." It hissed. It took a form, looking like Hattori but it started changing and forming into something... not even looking remotely human as it grew. Its body transformed as sharp teeth grew as shadow tentacles formed. Its red and yellow eyes looked more frightful and evil. It was focused on Korra.

"But you... AREN'T!" It screamed, suddenly charging and tackling Korra to the ground. It snarled and tried to bite at her as it kept her on the ground.

* * *

><p>From above, Lin could tell that it had gone from bad to worse. She turned to face Varrick and Asami.<p>

"Open a door. I want to go down there."

The two non-benders looked at each other before Asami nodded. She led the metalbender through the airship towards the cargo door. As the door opened, a rush of cold air forced its way in. Asami covered her face as Lin jumped.

* * *

><p>Korra tried to keep her guard up, but the Shadow Spirit would not let up. Its eyes focused on ending her life here and then.<p>

Then it managed to bite down hard onto Korra's lower arm, making her scream in utter pain before it threw her by the arm into a nearby building. It approached her beaten body.

"Once you are dead, I shall unleash my kind and nothing can stop us..."

But then pained coughs were heard, getting both of their attention.

"You... You LIED TO ME..." Hattori groaned, trying to stand but he was in pain himself. "This wasn't part of the deal!"

"I said you'd become my vessel after you killed those who killed you and your family..." The Spirit said after a dark chuckle. "... Even if you didn't fully finish the job."

"Wh-What?!" Hattori yelled out before the Shadow Spirit roared a burst of Shadows slamming him against the ground.

"Doesn't matter, I don't need you anymore. Good thing you'll slowly die without me and return to your personal hell as I roam free!" The Shadow Spirit chuckled, gloating over this new fact. "I am now unleashed for GOOD. There is no need for a host. I AM UNBOUND!" It screamed, laughing manically at this. It was ready to kill Korra as it turned back to her but saw she was gone.

"WHAT THE?! WHERE THE FUCK IS SHE?!"

Then a piece of metal shot into and out of its shoulder. It did not hurt the spirit as it looked and saw it was a straight razor.

"What the?" It hissed, turning his attention to where it came from. "Trying to metalbend Avatar?"

"Sorry, wrong metalbender!"

Rang a different voice behind him as it turned and saw a whole bunch of metal tipped spears come down onto it but the Spirit snarled and hissed as it saw a different figure; one Lin Bei Fong.

"Alright you shadowy bastard, it is my turn to kick your ass!"

"Ah... The moron's sister..." The Shadow Spirit echoed at the metalbender, who stood her ground ready to fight.

"Enough. I'm not here to chat with the likes of you." Lin spat before attacking.

She stomped the ground under her, bringing up a large boulder before breaking it apart and forcing the pieces towards the spirit. The pieces themselves broke against the Spirit who grunted in some form of pain, but it easily regained its stance, tilting its head.

"Oh, you sure you don't want to talk? I know what happens all over..." It said, chuckling as it slowly came towards Lin. "... and I know every detail on everyone, even you Lin..."

"Spare us both the nonsense. I'm not interested." She shot back as she continued to send rocks its way.

But the spirit dropped into a nearby shadow vanishing, making Lin put up her guard. She looked for the creature, noticing all the shadows around her.

"Oh but I am. You were forced to retire because of little ol' me and Hattori... sorry about that by the way but fear makes people do moronic things..." Its voice echoed from behind Lin one moment, then on her side the next.

Lin closed her eyes as she tried to block his attempts to get to her. She waited for the perfect time to strike at the spirit.

"I was coming due to retire anyways." She said softly. Lin was speaking more for herself than for the spirit.

"Ah, because you knew sooner or later the dented iron defense of yours would fail, showing the weak little girl seeking mother's approval..." The Spirit's voice rang, getting Lin's attention slightly, getting a laugh out of that. "Ah, little twitch of the lips; I saw that. Am I getting warmer? How is she by the way?"

"None of your business." She retorted.

She was grateful for Lin's interruption. The injuries were beginning to get to her. Parts of her hands, arms, face and even some of her short hair were burned from fighting and losing her control over exploding the fire.

* * *

><p>Korra was quickly healing some of her more serious cuts and burns. She then re-wrapped her right hand before slowly standing up to look and see how Lin was doing.<p>

She could hear the spirit laugh from where she was.

"Oh, DON'T LIE TO ME!" The Shadow Spirit roared, suddenly coming out of the shadows and pushing Lin against a wall, keeping her hands in place and looking deep into her eyes.

"I KNOW when people lie, you have been living a complete fucking lie you old bitch!" It hissed, a long sharp looking tongue sliding it, licking around Lin's pained face, but not touching it. "Your mother never told you about Hattori. It is already bad enough you never met your dad... Wanna know what he's up to?"

It was answered by Lin not changing her expression before defiantly spitting in its face, resulting in the Shadow Spirit's eyes slightly getting smaller.

"... Right then." It said before viciously spinning and swinging Lin against the wall hard, making her fall hard onto the ground as she screamed in pain.

"Ah..." Lin grunted in pain as she saw the Spirit watch her through the mess of hair that partially blocked her vision before slamming its claw against the ground, causing a shadow tentacle to come full force at her. She closed her eyes as she was ready for death.

The sound of flesh being torn was heard but Lin didn't feel any pain, just someone holding her before opening her eyes.

The sight she saw she didn't expect as she was looking up at Hattori who let go of her as both looked down, seeing the Shadow Tentacle sticking out of his chest.

Korra cried out as she stepped from the alley, stealing the spirit's attention. She did not hesitate to take control of the fight before her. The snow around her answered her beckoning and it began to rise into thin ribbons around the spirit. The Shadow Spirit hissed back as it tried to stop the Avatar but then her eyes flashed again, it was all over for the spirit. It was calmed before being sent away to a place unknown to the Avatar.

She placed her hands together before her, speaking low, "Go in peace."

Lin's shout brought her back. Korra rushed over. The Avatar stopped before them and saw that Lin was holding him in her arms. Hattori had a giant hole in his chest.

"Oh man, I'm so sorry. I don't think I can heal this!"

But Hattori gave a weak chuckle as he coughed up blood. "Not gonna... work anyway... I'm already dead..."

Korra placed a supportive hand on Lin's shoulder, "Would you like me to take him? I know you don't like him. I will stay with him until he passes."

"No... I'll stay." Lin said with a small voice surprised that even after all Hattori had done, even corrupted by the Shadow Spirit, he'd give his own life for her. Even with how she treated him. "Why did you protect me?"

"What?" Hattori droned out, coughing more blood.

"Why did you protect me?" Lin asked again.

"What?"

"Seriously!?" Lin spoke with more anger at this before Hattori gave a small laugh and a weak smile.

"Sorry, just... wanted to mess... with you... plus... blood loss... plus missing... ear." He said, holding Lin's hand. "Protected you because... you're my... sister..." She said to which Lin looked in surprise as he put something in her hand.

"Avatar Korra..." He said, looking at her. "Thank you for... being so nice... And gorgeous."

That got a surprise chuckle from Korra.

"It's alright Hattori..." She smiled holding his other hand.

"Enjoy... Ember Island sister..." Hattori said, looking back up at Lin before he stopped moving, eye still looking up at her.

Korra closed her eyes for a moment before closing the dead man's only eye. She looked up at the former Chief only to see that the older woman's brow was wrinkled. She could tell that Lin was fighting her emotions.

"Come on Bei Fong. We'll let my father take care of his body. He'll receive a proper burial."

"I need a moment first." Lin said. Her voice was still small like she was trying to keep her emotions in. "Then I'll catch up. Go check with Mako and Bolin."

Korra nodded before leaving her with the body. Alone, Lin opened up the hand that Hattori placed the object in. Opening it up, she saw it was an old crumpled up photo. It was of Hattori before he died with a woman and a small five year old girl. Lin realized they were his wife and daughter, smiling happy as they were at the beaches of Ember Island in the photo.

Making sure no was looking, Lin let down a lone tear for her brother.

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><p>Korra limped towards her friends. The pain from the fight was kicking back in and she was hurting all over again. She fought through it and when she finally saw Mako and Bolin, she hurried to them. Her crashed into them, hugging them tightly with a satisfied smile. She had her support with her now. The brothers smiled and returned the hug.<p>

Minutes later and after telling the Avatar to suck up from complaining about her aching body (and a reminder that she lit herself on fire), Asami and Opal found them. Asami took off in a run before stopping to catch Korra from tripping. She gave the Avatar a gentle kiss. Asami did not want to put pressure on the forming bruises.

Then came the cough.

Korra's eyes grew big as she completely forgot that she had refrained from informing her parents about her relationship. Her father stood behind her with a stern look and his arms crossed.

"I believe there is something you need to tell me, dear daughter of mine." He sounded like he was almost growling.

Korra twisted, slowly stepping behind Asami a bit, "I might... have... skipped a few details."

Asami glanced at her girlfriend. She wanted to hide behind Korra after seeing the look on Tonraq's face.

"I see."

Tonraq looked between the two. He then smiled and opened his arms.

"Your mother and I have known for some time. It has been in the newspapers," he chuckled, "Although, I wished that you would have told us sooner."

Korra grumbled into Asami's shoulder.

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><p>The next day, Hattori was given a Water Tribe funeral. Korra brought the idea up to Lin because of his connection and love for his Water Tribe wife. Watching among the crowd was Lin who silently watched, placing the photo Hattori had given her into his coat pocket beforehand. The Avatar and Mako stood close behind her. They nodded their support before the small boat was sent from the coast. The adopted son of a sword maker and unknowingly the son of the world's greatest earthbender was given his bittersweet farewell.<p>

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><p><strong>PipTook- Only the Epilogue left. Please review! <strong>


	15. Epilogue

Ember Island; the place to be when on vacation. The sun was out and the sand was warm. The sounds of waves were crashing on the shore. Lin Bei Fong was sitting in her chair, doing what he brother told her to do; enjoy it. Her sunglasses were on and the wide brimmed hat saved her face from the sun's glare. In her hands was the day's newspaper from Republic City.

"_President Raiko Announces Chief Bei Fong's Successor_." She snorted, "Of course. Saikhan gets it again. Has no one learned from the last time he took my spot?"

She sighed as she flipped the page, "_Avatar Korra Voices Her Disapproval_. Thank goodness someone agrees with me."

"Hey," a voice called from behind her. The person walked to Lin's right, "You are supposed to be on vacation."

"I am on vacation." She said as she pulled her sunglasses down to look at the man, "You should be sitting beside me and telling me that I should not be reading this."

Mako let out a short laugh before stealing the newspaper and one-upping the former Chief; he lit the newspaper on fire.

"There. Here's your malt whiskey, Chief. I told the bartender to expect that you will be drinking this and only this all week."

"I'm charmed." She deadpanned before smiling, "Thank you."

Ever since their return from the Southern Water Tribe, Lin had noticed that Mako had been becoming ever more awkward around Korra and Asami, especially the Avatar. Korra had finally decided that she was going to push the social norms and propose to Asami. The Avatar naturally told him first about her idea. Mako was left slightly crushed even if he never mentioned it to her but he began to help her with ideas.

That night as Mako and Korra were doing their radio show get-together, a commercial came on the radio. Actually, somehow Asami got her hands on the station's controls and made a recording. She asked over the radio, in front of the entire city to come down to the street below Mako's apartment. Korra gave the firebender a confused look before they walked down. The detective was trying to hold his emotions in as he was quite aware of what was going on. Then Asami proposed to the Avatar in front of Bolin, Opal and him. She held a dark grey ring up, etched with the four elements. Mako had to catch Korra as she fainted.

The next day left Mako in a brooding mood. So when Lin offered to bring him along for a breather, he quickly agreed.

The firebender sat down on the beach towel besides his former boss. He leaned back as they both settled into a moment of silence. Only the sounds of the beach were heard between them. They both let out a relaxing sigh. Then Mako's eyes followed a young woman from the Fire Nation whom had been looking at him.

"You better go speak with her, son." Lin's eyes followed too as she lowered her sunglasses again, "She has been looking at you all week."

The firebender blushed, "Well... I don't know what to say. I don't really know her. Do I just ask or do I try to be suave like Boli-"

He jumped back in his seat after finding the glaring look from the metalbender.

"Son, if you do not go and speak with her then I will personally launch you back to Republic City with your sour attitude. You do not want to be old and alone like me. Now, flatter this old, retired woman and give her a war story about your arm. Women love scars," Lin then waved her hand, "or so I've been told."

Mako chuckled as he smiled. He got up, shook the sand from his swim suit and went to chase the woman down. The metalbender shook her head before taking a much needed sip of her whiskey.

Retirement was good.

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><p><strong>ADH- <strong>**And that's the end of "In The Shadows." Frankly if I tried to do this on my own, I wouldn't have gotten it finished. But I gotta thank PipTook for all the help and for just being awesome. Was fun to work on, waited till this chapter to give my thoughts. Hope you all enjoyed it. Maybe me and her might collab on another fanfic. Which one?... Hell if I know.**

**PipTook- It was fun. I was a bit put off on the plot when ADH first PMed me. We talked it out and it turned out that I was interested. I was happy to help write it out and it certainly helped with certain aspects of my own writing (like fight scenes) and editing. We both have different ways of writing so it was lots of work trying to make our styles match. **

**I know that this one did not get many reviews, but please let us know about what you liked or did not like. This will help us both in the future whether we collaborate again with each other or different writers.**


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